The age-herald., 1899-10-11
FIRST DAY WAS DISAPPOINTING Southern Industrial Convention
 Opens at Huntsville THE GOVERNORS WELCOME An Interesting Session Held Despite Small Attendance-Hon. w. L.
 Chambers. Samoan Ex-Chief x. Justice on Expansion .
THE GOVERNORS WELCOME


 Huntsville, Ala, October lo.-Although the first days session of the Southern h. dustrial convention was somewhat of a disappointment to its projectors in the matter of attendance, the two sessions were productive of considerable discussion of much merit.
 Governor Joseph F. Johnston, of Ala bama, who welcomed the delegates at the morning session, spoke during the after noon on the resources of Alabama. The governors remarks were brief but pointed, and he was heartily cheered. He paid tribute to neighboring states who sent so many good citizens to Alabama. He be- leVed diversity of agricultural instruction would solve the difficulties, and said that such diversion was bound to bring manu- factories south.
 He called upon the inhabitants of Ala bama to put enterprise into their work It was all very well to send commercial agents up north to bring them with us, said the governor, but when they come down here and see so many people standing around the corners talking politics, 1t might cause them to hesitate. The south- ern cities must take the initiative in the matter. They must subscribe their own money to their enterprises and thus show confidence in their resources" He plainly told the loungers and takers on politics at corner stores to get out and go to work
 Hon. w. L. Chambers, of Sheffield, Ala, former chief justice of Samoa, participated in the discussion. Judge Chambers. saad that from the time the news of the dec laration of war against Spain and the news of Admiral Dewey's magnificent achieve ment at Manila bay reached samoa by steamers every American in Samoa be- came an expansionist. He said the com merce of Samoa was wholly untouched by the United States, but under the new era it was bound to cut quite a hgure, anu would enter largely into the prosperity or the south To the delegates he said that with the opening of the Nicaraguan canal the demand in the Philippines and other eastern places for food and nufacture5 used in buildings that it would fall to the states of the south to furnish the material. This, he said, would pass through southern ports, once the Nicaragua canal WAS opened. Mir. Chambers said it would be possible to lay down Alabama coal in Sa- naoa for S4 per ten, wn!te ene goterhments had to pay, during the trouble there, $22 for fuel for their war vessels
 Hon. J. Price Williams, of Mobile Ala, read an interesting paper on Alabama Commercial Argosies'
 Elk Governor William A. McCorkle, ot West Virginia, was chosen president of the convention, and Colonel N. F. Thompson, of the Huntsville chamber of commerce, secretary. Vice presidents were named as follows: Kentucky, E. F. Smith, Louis vile; Tennessee, Colonel J. B. Killibrew, Nashville; Alabama, J. B. Gibson, BirminS- ham; Georgia, Colonel Edward Bronston, Brunswick; Florida, John B. Colleen, Tai lahassee; Texas, J. M. Nix, Austin. Several resolutions were offered and re- ferred to a committee of three. One paper provides for the erection by the national government of textile university at some central point in the south, to cost s50O,O0o, and southern congressman were urged to suggest legislation which would secure an appropriation. This resolution was later Ia vorably reported on by the committee and adopted. Another resolution which was adopted recommends the establishment or a department of immigra tion and industry by the legislatures of every southern state to gather statistics regarding the industrial wants of their respective states and gener- ally aid in promoting settlers and manu- featuring enterprises, and authorizing tns department to act arbitrator in all la bor disputes.