The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-15
THE SOUTHERN PRESS
WHAT 1T HAS DONE TO DEVELOP
THE SOUTH.
COL. HEMPHILL'S ADDRESS.
INDUSTRIAL CONVENTION CON-
CLUDES IT'S work.

uehpnIIi SuceeeOs bnrSrOve as
President - The Work of the
Southern Railroads Discussed-A
Resolution Adopted FavOring the
Creation of River and Harbor
Commission to Take Charge of
Care and improvements of All
HarbOrs and Watcrways-WOrk OF
Industrial Commission Endorsed.
Philadelphia, June 14.-The concluding
session of the Southern Industrial Con-
vention was one of the most interesting
of the meeting.
The Press of the South and Its Rela-
tion to the Industrial Development of the
South" was presented by Col w. A.
Hemphill of the Atlanta Constitution, and
discussed by representatives of other
Southern newspapers.
After calling the convention to order
President Hargrove, in brief speech, re-
signed his office in favor of Col w A.
Hemphill of Atlanta, first vice president.
Mr. Hargrove has been in i'll health for
some time.
On the subject of the work of railroads
in the development of the South, NJ. V.
Richards of the Southern Railway, said
the railway system increases the needs
and demands of the people and furnishes
the means of supplying these demands.
Railroads, he said, develop and foster in
dustry and lead to progress by broadening
the lines of business.
The railways of the South, said Mr..
Richards have given labor and money to
further the industrial progress of the
Southern states.
Give Railroads Their Dues.
Alexander Helper, Jr., of Baltimore
read a paper entitled why Our Manu-
facturers. Our Merchants, Our Farmers
Throughout the Country Should Be
Stanch Friends of Our Railroads" He
said in part:
THE vigorous and progressive South
of to-day owes her activity and advance
ment chiefly to the railroads that ira
verse her territory. With them she is
growing and making AGRICULTURAL and
commercial history. Without them she
would be almost as inactive as a snail
in winter To-day we have 1924 miles
of railroads in the United States, a quar-
ter more than all Europe
1T is a fact beyond contradiction, -
continued Mr.. Helper that wherever
good railways have been constructed. the
cost of transportation has been enor-
mousiy decrea sed.'
Work of the Newspapers.
President Hemphill introduced the SUBJ
ject of newspapers by stating that imme-
diately after the war he established the
Atlanta Constitution on the line of indus
rial improvement and has since been
steadfast to that policy.
THE day is breaking" !" said Col Hemp
hill. The sun is beginning 10 shine
over the South and the newspapers are
the great agents in bringing about this
happy condition"
Norman Walker of the New Orleans
Times-Democrat was the next speaker on
the subject. He claimed that the be-
ginning of industrial development in the
South was due to the Southern press.
In ante-bellum days the newspapers had
considered industrial items of no import
ance and had not then published them;
but. beginning in 1880, they had gone to
work 20 get the facts. II required labor
and the expenditure of money, but 1t
proved 50 SuCCtSSlhl llldI LUS SOUTHERN
papers We're able to see that industrial
news is the most valuable they can pub
lish.
a River and HarbOr Board.
The following resolution was adopted:
That the Southern Industrial Conven-
tion respectfully recommends to the Con-
gress of the United States the creation
of a board or commission TO be composed
of eminent civil. military and naval en-
gineers, to which shall be committed the
care and Improvement of our rivers. har-
bors and connecting waterways, in which
tenure of office shall be permanent unless
removal is made for cause, and in the
service of which promotion shall be made
in accordance with ability"
A resolution was adopted indorsins the
action of the industrial commission, las
looking to the good of the whole country
through a scientific solution of the whole
question by non-partisan business
body"
Other resolutions were indorsing the pro-
posed national convention in support Of
the improvement of rivers and har5ors;
indorsing the Louisiana Purchase Expo
sition indorsing the movement to cstab-
lish a steamship line between this city
and New Orleans and memorializing
Southern state Legislatures TO improve
the roads. The convention adjourned OF
1915 o'clock.