Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-06-08
WICHITA CONGRESS.
States and Territories West Of the
Mississippi Well Repre- scented.
The SUBJECTS OF The ADDRESSES.
Reclamation and Settlement Of the Arid
Region Urged-Illustrated Lectures
by Messrs. Frankenfield and New
ell-ResolutiOns Introduced.

W HhOebibs uhu A~CW
ell-Resoluti0ns Introduced.
Wichita, Kan, June 1.-The tenth
annual session of the Transmississippi
commercial congress opened here yes.
terday morning with 800 delegates in
attendance. Two hundred more are
expected to-day. Every state and ter.
ritory west of the Mississippi, with the
exception Of Washington, Nevada and
Idaho, is represented. Hon. Hugh
Craig, of San Francisco, president Of
the congress, failed to come and Vice
President Prince, Of New Mexico,
called the congress to order. Gov.
Stanley, Of Kansas, delivered the ad.
dress Of welcome. Mayor Ross spoke
for the city Of Wichita and the Wichita
board OF trade. Congressman-elect
julius Kahn, Of San Francisco, and
Gov. Murphy, Of Arizona, responded.
A sharp contest came up over the Sc.
lection OF committee on resolutions.
The first address Of the session was
made by Prof. Morrow, Of the Okla
homa Agricultural college, on the "In.
PRODUCTION of Corn in Europe as a Food
Product" Francis b. Thurber, of New
York city, chairman Of the American
Exporters association, spoke on
"Wider Markets and How to Get Them. "
Ex-Congressman W. B. Slosson, of Tex
as, speaking Of kansas and Deep
Water Ports on the Gulf" said in part:
Texas, Arkansas. Missouri, Kansas, Nebras.
ka North and South Dakota raised in 1905 Of
corn wheat and oats alone l,O7l, $50 1850 bushels,
valued by the commissioner Of agriculture Of
ee52, 6A,75O. Freight rates make and unmake
cities and states. In 1892 congress gave $780,,
W0 to make deep water port at Galveston and
Today there are " feet Of water on the bar and
the largest ocean vessels now sail into that har.
Dor At the last session Of congress all Texas
ports received aid from the nation to continue
the good work, Houston getting the first install
ment of 100000 to continue 25-foOt channel
frtm Galveston to Houston, thus bringing q
landlocked harbor and railroad center 30 miles
nearer the great grain fields Of the wect be-
fore the Texas ports were opened the freight
rates to the ocean were 3! cents per 100 on corn
from Kansas; to-day they are about 10 cents.
When ocean vessels can sail up Buffalo bayou
there will be another cut In freight rates.
Fred W. Bentley of Wichita, spoke
on Equitable Freight Rates."
AT the evening session Hon. George
H. MAXWELL of San Francisco, repre-
senting the national irrigation con-
gress, spoke on the creation of an in
land empire. He urged the policy of
reclamation and settlement of the arid
region that is being advocated by the
national irrigation congress, which is
that the federal government should
give to the west its share of the river
and harbor appropriations for building
great storage reservoirs to save the wa
tiers which in food times 90 down in
great volumes, carrying destruction
with them; and that title to the public
lands should be ceded to individual set
tiers only, and not coded to the states;
also that the grazing lands of the west
should be leased by the states at a low
rate and the proceeds used for con
structing irrigation canals.
Illustrated lectures were delivered
by DR.. B. c. Frankenfeld, of the United
States weather bureNd, and r.. H.
Newell, photographer of the United
States geological survey. Dr. Franken-
field spoke or Floods and Flood Prob
lems' and Water Storage" was Mr..
Newell's subject.
A resolution, introduced by Mr..
Lewis, of Oklahoma, condemned At
kinson, of Boston, for his pamphlet
against war in the Philippines and
asked the national congress to encour-
age the expectation Of negroes to the
Philippines. Other resolutions were:
By ex-Gov. Prince, of New Mexico, for
the establishment of a department of
mines and mining to correspond with
the department of agriculture; also for
government aid for the improvement
Of the merchant marine. BY Stuart,
Of South Dakota. asking for govern
ment aid to build reservoirs for storing
waters on the upper Missouri. BY
Gov. Murphy, of Arizona, asking state
hood for the territory and the cession
Of arid lands.
Hot Springs, Ark; Cripple Creek,
COL, and Houston, Tex, are after the
next congress. c. A. Fellows, of To-
peka, and Thomas Patterson, of Den
YER, are candidates for president.
A lively fight is on among the irripa-
Dionlsts ON tne question OF Dullung
reservoirs for the arid districts. One
faction, led by Gov. Murphy, wants
cession to the states and state reser-
roirs. Opposed to this is a faction ia
voring the storage of water by govern
nent reservoirs.
Wichita, Kan, June 3.-Yesterday
was resolution day for the transmits
sissippi congress- Debate waxed warm