The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-30
Auto Show Is Achievement or Birmingham Motor 7rades
BIRMINGHAM HAS
 MANY MATERIALS USED IN AUTOS
Centralisation Of Plants However, Disadvantage
 To District

The Birmingham district affords practically all of the materials neces- sary for the manufacture of automobiles but industrial experts do not expect 1t to ever rank high as center for this sort of production.
 Theoretically, motor cars can be manufactured here a great deal cheaper than in the northern cities because of proximity to the raw resources, but practically, 1t is declared, such would not be the result Lack of skilled labor would be one of the main bars.
 Establishment of the automobile manufacturing centers at Detroit. Flint, Cleveland, was largely a matter of luck more than any acute regard for the nat ural advantages of the districts. But having taken firm root in the soil near ly all of the machines used ill the country are made in these localities, This eentralizat ton of the motor indus try has resulted in numerous benefits 50 far as the assembling of materials. accessories and employment are con cerned, and So situated it is said doubt full whether any great change will ever develop.
 Oversupply Seen
 Ths comp6nies now in operation can pr6dtce more automobiles than the buy ing public is able to absorb. How long this Condition will exist. is not definite ly Known, but should demand in later years over balance the supply logi- Cians assert that expansion and i'm Drovefnents at the plants now q work, where labor and parts may readily be had. .fs more fea asible that branching out into other cities of the country.
 oHS 6f the great arguments for the tnan9taeture cf motors fin the disttict ts tA& saving: in ffeisht on the finished cxrs ffonn the north srd the proximity to eo8I, ore, 6fd cotton, three basic ma. tSfiafs of the industry. Location of q i paAnt here, however, would requiEe an I inn Sfs6 expenditure fin apparatus to xnakS bar and sheet steel and the cast insa which ars needed for moulding, of vsiibus nechanieaf parts. More i'm portaflt than this Is the skilled labor 1 situatipn, Detroit offers advantages 1 to tkS motor frfdes because of the close connSction of other factories there to the kuk6mob1e world. When one fac tory shuts down the mechanic has little troubi9 finding something suitable to his talents in similar work. In a yir- gin tFrit6fy, 1t is stated that the me CHauIE WQuIu IInu uIlusell NltHuuG cbi ploy4lent' when the auto business is stasn9nt,
 Materials Abound Hero If A manufacturer of automobiles sought for materials alone. he would find the Birmingham district near paradise. Leather and glass would he about the only materials not found here, and as in the case of northern cities, most Of it is purchased outside F the auto sections. With completion of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad u.vs 411f,a1ly's new mill plenty of sheet steel
 1ud be had; numerous foundries in
 le district could easily be persuaded to would the models for the motor should the demand prove great enough; cot ton in. quantities would provide the basis for fabrics and tires; lumber from the forests near here could be cut for the framework of the bodies. As industial conditions stand there is only one firm in the district which occupies an outstanding position in the autofnoble proper or automobile access sorry field. This is the Birmingham Tire and Rubber company. This com pany, one of the few in the south, was organized about two years ago and al- though it's progress has been slow it is gradually expanding to 8 point where 1t will soon be recognized throughout the Southeastern territory. Indepen- deiicS of the tire factories and other accessory manufacturers from the auto nobfk companies proper shuld encour- age further development along this line in ths district.