The Iola register., 1891-04-24
THE COMMERCIAL CONGRESS.
REPRESENTATIVES, OF THE WEST
ERN AND SOUTHERN STATES MEET
AT KANSAS CITY To CONSIDER
VARIOUS QUESTIONS OF PARTICU-
LAR INTEREST TO THE WEST AND
SOUTH,
The Commercial Congress

/
The first western states commercial
congress convened at Kansas Cit,
Tuesday, April IA, with delegation:
present from the following TWENTY-FIVE
western and southern states and terri
tories: California, Washington, Idaho
Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming,
Montana, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska,
Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michi.
gan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana, Georgia, Texas and Okla,
homa. The delegations were composed
mainly of business men appointed by
the governors of the various states, and
were representatives of the western and
southern people.
State Senator Kelley of Kansas, was
chos n chairman. Upon taking the
chair lie made speech favoring an en-
largement of the circulating medium.
| Governor Francis of Missouri
made the address of welcome on
behalf of Missouri and T. Dwight
Thacher on behalf of Kansas.
Among the letters read was one from
| President Harrison in which he urged
the fact that home market is neces-
sarily the best market and Indirectly
favored protective ,e policy and stable
currency.
Letters were also read from Hon. J.
NJ. Rusk, secretary of agriculture; NJ.
H. DeYoung, editor of the SanFrancisco
Chronicle; Senator PETER, Charles
Francis Adams, FL. K. Thurber, of New
York, and John V. Farwell of Chicago.
The usual committees having been ap-
pointed, the first days session adjourn
ed.
SECOND DAY.
The full representation of the con-
gress was present at the opening of the
second days session. Mr.. S. J. V.
Skiff, of Denver, read a paper on "Pop-
ulatiOn and Raw Materials treating of
the possibilities of the west. Ex-Gov-
ernOr Click of Kansas, gave his views
on the cause of the present depression.
He considered that 'Mr. Blaine's reci-
procity schemes and Secretary Rusk's
efforts in extending the markets for
live stock were partial remedies"
Speaker Elder of the Kansas house Of
representatives, laid the blame for the
depression TO the trusts, abetted by the
vi ".
S. Hall, president of the Missouri state
farmers alliance gave As his reason for
commercial and financial depression,
partisan politics and the high tariff, a
decrease in the volume of money and
advanced railroad rates to pay divi-
dends on watered stock. Edward At
kinson of Boston, read paper giving
his views on money, opposing the un-
limited coinage of silver. A letter was
read from Senator Stewart of Nevada.
taking an opposite view of the silver
question. ''Other measures" he said.
might be necessary to supply acirculat-
ing medium, but free coinage was the
first and most important step in the
emancipation of the masses from the
domination of money kings"
The roll of the states was called and
large number of resolutions were intro
duced covering every possible subject
of western interest Addresses were
made by Congressman Crisp of Georgia,
on Taxation" Ex-Governor Greer of
Iowa, on Markets for Western Pro-
duce:" Congressman breckenridge of
Arkansas, on ''Taxation:" Chauncy |.
Filley of st. Louis, on "Transporta-
tion," and MIR. w. C. Schwepe of st.
Louis on Interstate Commerce"
THIRD DAY.
The third days program was opened
with the reading of a paper by James
Peabody Of Chicago, on Railroad
Pools" He spoke in behalf of the rail-
road companies and said that what the
shipper wanted was not'so much low rate
as stable rates, and what the railroads
wanted was not so much great business
as steady business and protection
against the dishonesty of competitors
General Chas. w. Blair of Kansas. read
paper on transportation and finance.
A telegram was received from the New
York chamber Of commerce calling at
tention to the necessity of improve
ments to the Mississippi river.
Transportation became the subject of
a general debate participated in, among
others, by General Schweppe, Senator
Cochran, John T. Cornforth. Of Denver,
G. S. Deitrichs of Hastings, Neb., State
Senator Switzler of Nebraska, James
Madison of Mississippi and H. Martin
Williams of Missouri
Jay L. TORY of st. Louis, read a
paper on Uniform Commercial Laws"
in which he endeavored to
shows the need of a revised bankrupt
law. Colonel A. c. Fisk, of Denver
said, 900, ZOO, 900 of people were kept
alive on food raised on irrigated land in
Spain, China, Egypt, Russia, India and
and United States. yet the subject of
irrigation, although carried on success
fully for hundreds of years, was but |
little understood.
In trans-Missippi country enough
land was allowed to 60 to waste that
was susceptible of cultivation to support |
whole nations of people. Major Powell |
that there were 1000, 600 |
square miles of arid lands in the west |
ern country that could be made pro- |
ductive by irrigation. At the mini |
mum price of public lands, S1.25 per |
acre, this land had a value of $500. 000,- |
600. AT $50 per acre, a moderate esti- |
mate of its value, when irrigated, it |
would be worth SI9. 200. 900. 900.
Sidney Clark OF Oklahoma read pa
per on the Indian question. Hon. A. |
J. Warner of Ohio. addressed the con-
gress on the relation of money to bank
credits He favored state supervision |
Of banks. Judge r. NJ. Widney of Los
read paper on the national
money system. He claimed there is
not enough money in circulation
and that the circulating medium should
be increased, but opposed free coinage.
7. S. Coast OF Illinois and Prof.
Blackmer of Kansas discussed the
money question. In the evening a re-
ception was rendered the delegates.
FOURTH DAY.
Inc discussion of transportation and
of waterways was con-
tinued. S. A Thompson of Duluth, re-
viewed the question of cheap freight
Gen. T. o. Catchings of Mississippi,
advocated the improvement of the
and ports. Hon. J. H.
Murphy of Iowa, spoke OF the great
benefits that would be derived from the