The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-16
At HOUSTON, TEXAS
Chairman Moses of the Exec
utive Committee
OF COMM ERCIAL CONGRESS
Says Wichita Meeting Will
Help Make Meeting Greater


man of the executive committee of the
Trans Mississippi Commercial Congress,
| speaking of the rans-Mississippi Con-
gress to held at Houston, Texas, April
18th to 21st inclusive, said: "The people
of the United States are quite familiar
with the objects of the Trans-Mississippi
Commercial Congress, and the press of
the entire country has given it a great
deal Of attention, while the newspapers
printed within the limits Of the great re-
gion embraced. have been generous to an
| extreme, and we are particularly anxious
| for the continuance of this assistance
during the next month, for there seems
| to be determination on the part of
every officer Of the congress. as well as
! those who have formerly been delegates,
to make the meeting in Houston the most
important in the history Of the organiza-
! ton.
In the language of the late E. V.
! Smalley Of st. Paul, The vital question
which has held the congress together has
been that Of securing additional deep
water facilities upon the Mexican gulf,
and now that we are to meet in a city
to which the government is building a
| channel twenty-five feet deep and which
has three lines of railroads to Galveston
where the government has built the fam
Gus jetties, which have resulted in almost
thirty feet of water as an entrance to
Galveston harbor. Then Velasco. at the
mouth of the BraZos, Port Arthur and
Sabine Pass are all within a few hours
ride, with New Orleans but a nights ride
away. the coming meeting cannot be
otherwise than of extreme interest to the
people Of one of the most important agri-
cultural, mining and stock growing re-
gions of the world. for the question of
transportation to and from these ports
has interested them for many years more
than any other one subject.
1.-THE railroad systems Of the west are
taking a Inactive interest in the meeting
to be at Houston, and have made a rate
Of one fare plus 81 for the for the round
trip from all sections of the great mid |
continent of which Kansas is the center
Tickets on sale April ID and 18th, good
for twenty-one days, and there will be
large delegations from every western
state and territory. and you may be as
sured that our own state OF Kansas will
be thoroughly represented
Thus far the executive committee
have decided upon the discussion of the
following subjects: Irrigation, rivers and
harbors, Nicaragua canal, Pacific cable |
merchant marine, st. Louis Worlds Fair |
19OS, trade with the Orient consular SER
vices, statehood, railroad transportation, |
preservation Of forests, beet root sugar, |
trade with Mexico, advantages of Ameri- |
can travel, exports and imports through |
gulf and Pacific ports, need of home fac |
tories, good roads and drainage
1t has been stated in the official call |
that 1 would be grateful for suggestions |
as to the questions to be discussed by any |
citizen Of the Trans Mississippi country, |
and at this time I wish to emphasize that |
fact, for we are particularly anxious that
this organization should be thoroughly |
representative.
1.-THE basis of representation IS: The
governor Of each state or territory may |
appoint ten delegates the mayor of each
city one delegate, and one additional dele
gate for each 5000 inhabitants, provided, |
however, that no city shall have more |
than ten delegates; each county may ap-
point one delegate through its executive
officer, every business organization one
delegate. and an additional delegate for
every fifty members, provided however,
that no such organization shall have
more than ten delegates. Governors of
states or territories, members of the
United States congress, and ex-presidents
Of this congress, are ex-officio delegates
with all privileges of delegates, except
those of voting
AS stated before, there has never been
a time when the interest was so great as
at present and among the active officers
in each state and territory, there are
many who are giving much of their time
for the benefit of the people of the state
or territory they represent.
President E. o. Stanard of St. Louis
and Mr.. II. r. Whitmore, of the same
city, who is chairman Of the advisory
board of the executive committee. are es-
pecialy active. Secretary Tom Richard |
son of Houston advises me that his CORE
spondence is daily upon the increase, and
a similar report comes from many mem
bers Of the executive committee. as well
as the vice presidents representing differ
ent states and territories.
The territory embraced in the con-
gress included all the states and territor-
les lying west OF the Mississippi river.
and all of Minnesota and Louisiana. The
area is 10000 square miles, and a care
fui estimate recently made by Professor
Waterhouse of Washington university,
ST. Louis. places the population at a0,Oo0,-
coo.
Il wish 20 emphasize one fact and that
is, that the TRANSIT Mississippi Congress
does not discuss partisan politics and
only deals with questions Of general i'm
portance.
Judging from the letters received from
Houston, the people OF that city are
thoroughly aroused TO the Importance %
the congress and will give the delegates
and visitors hearty reception and inter
eSung entertainment including A ride
down the highway 70 the sea. out through
the jetties to the deep blue waters Of the
Gulf of Mexico
The meeting at Wichita last wear was
the greatest in the history Of the con
gress TO that date but through the en-
OF that meeting we hope 10
make the meeting al Houston greater"
okLAHOMA'S INTERESTS
Speaking ~ Oklahoma, M Moses said: /
Words fan when one ATTEMPTS Z, de- /
scribe the enterprise and push OF the
people o. this extraordinarily progressive
commonwealth Oklahoma Is making
record IN progress which has no parallel
in the past In every part % the terri
tory arrangements are being made 1o-
a. the session OF the con
gress % convene IN this city. Hon II C