The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-13

which will be held at Huntsville, Wednes- day. Oct. 16th, promises to work new era in the Industrial development of the Tennessee Valley.
 The insignificant recognition given this important inter-State waterway by the Rivers and HarbQrs Committee of the f1fty-sixth Congress indicated a disposi- tion to abandon this great work unless the people along the whole Tennessee Mississippi and Kentucky arouse them selves and demand it's completion. It was al this critical period that Congress- man William Richardson of the Eighth alabama District addressed a letter to the Commerce Committee of the Senate, Who had charge of the Rivers and Har- DOTS bill when it passed from the House, which was signed by every Congressman In those States tributary to the Tennes- See River, from its headwaters to Padu- cah. asking the committee to make an gtructions atS Colbert and Bee Tree Shoals. {
 Heretofore appropriations for the, Ten nessee River have been divided out among the numerous small tributaries extending far up into East Tennessee above Knoxville and while these streams have been greatly benefited and In many cases made navigable for small draught boats and open to commerce. yet the main obstruction to the Tennessee River at Colbert and Bee Tree Shoals l,,.,t has been years the river has remained practically unnavigable from four to eight months in the year on account of these obstruc- tions. Congressman Richardson recently said to the writer that the Tennessee River was like a sack tied in the middle with both ends open to navigation Judge Richardson has been aSSiduously at work the past two years unifyng all conflicting interests and pledging the support of both Congressman and Senators in this one united effort to secure an appropriation sufficient to complete the second lock and eight miles of canal necessary to open the river. around Colbert and Bee Tree Shoals. The lower lock cost s6oo,OO0 and has been completed several years, but the failure of the last Congress to ap- propriate money for the continuance of this work has practically tied up all river Improvements an1 the work has been temporarily abandoned. Major J. G. D. Knight has recommended in his report the appropriation of S9S1 900 in one lump sum for this work and the putting of the Tennessee River on the continuous con tract plan, which would place 1t out of lhe hands of hostile committee or safe rom failure to make an appropriation. That 1t should be placed on continuous contract system Is essential and impor- tant from the fact that Major Knight has said that the completion of Colbert Shoals Canal will not ensure low-water naviga tion by boats drawing three feet for two miles above Colbert Shoals; other shoals exist between the latter and Florence between Florence and the Muscle Shoals Canal, between Lock 1 and Lock of Mussle Shoals Canal, and above the ca ral; and other works of improvement will
 
 Canal can be of material benefit to either Sheffield or Florence.
 General Charles H. Grosvenor. Chair man of the Committee on the Merchants Marine and Fisheries of Congress, has, admirably summed up the whole situa' ton in his letter to Congressman Rich ardson. in which he said:
 'I want to call your attentio nto what think is the salient point of your con- tcntion. It is idle to spend money in the upper end of the river or, to any consid lower stretches the river. while Colbert Shoals obstructs the comfortable navigation of that mag nificent stream
 It is absolutely imperative, if we maintain any kind of reputation for con sistency. that we clear out those shoals and make that splendid river great art cry of commerce. l shall take pleasure in seconding any movement that you gentlemen in Tennessee, Alabama or Georgia may inaugurate to this end May l gently hint at an obstacle that must in some way be overcome or modified. It is a gigantic and difficult undertaking to get Congress to appreciate it and make the appropriation that 1t ought to. and 1t will never be done but by the united 3c- ton of the representatives interested. ard if you fritter away your whole strength. and by your-1 mean the whole body of Tennessee. Alabama and Georgia representatives-by getting little tempo rary appropriations for minor places and inconSiderable interest, you will never get the sort of support for the great work that it so richly deserves It would be better for you that the small places you could get a splendid appropriation with continuous contract. You can do all of thls if you will stand together, but if you concede the abandonment or the neglect of this work to promote other special. and less important interests, you will fail entirely. l believe that you can win the fight " Moon of East Tennessee, Richardson | from Middle Tennessee, Sims from North | Tennessee. Senators Bate and Carmack of Tennessee and Pettus from Alabama. | Congressman Bankhead, Underwood. Bur | nett and Clayton of Alabama have all | personally pledged themselves to be pres working in harmony to secure the appro- priation asked for by Major Knight.
 The Tennessee River Improvement As sociation was organized at delegate | river improvement convention held in | Chattanooga, Tenn, Jan. 4th, lS9S, for | the purpose of forming permanent or | ganZatiOn whose object should he to | further the work of improvement of nav igation of the Tennessee. The Organiza- ton consists of delegates appointed by all | cities, towns and commercial bodies in- | terested in the navigation of the river, | who at each annual meeting elect off | cers for the ensuing year and select | place for the next meeting. The first two | meetings were held at Chattanooga, the | third in Knoxville, Tenn, and the fourth | in Sheffield, Ala, Nov. 2Oth 1900, al | which meeting Huntsville was selected l as the place for the fifth annual meeting. | At the meeting in Sheffield the following | officers were elected viz:
 President-Newell Sanders. Chattanoo- ga, Tenn.
 Secretary and Treasurer-Z. c. Patten. Chattanooga, Tenn.
 First e-President-General John T Wilder, Knoxville Tenn.
 Second Vice -President-Hon. A. W. | Wills, Nashville, Tenn.
 Third -President-J. C. Harris. Shef field. Ala
 Executive Committee-Hon. Newell San ders Chattanooga, Tenn; z. c. Patten. Chattanooga. Tenn; J. N. Trigg, Chat tanooga Tenn; A. w. Wills, Nashville Tenn. Joe Nathan, Sheffield, Ala; Emmet O'Neal, Florence, Ala; Alfred Moore. Huntsville, Ala; R. w. Austin, Knox vile, Tenn.
 Major Kingman's Report.
 Major Kingman in his annual report for 1900 says:
 "The Tennessee River and it's principal tributaries form system of internal waterways capable of being navigated more than 1850 miles by steambOats In addition to this 1t is still further navi- gable by rafts and flatboats for dis tance of more than 1,050 miles, thus mak- ing a system of navigable water of 2.fOO miles in extent. The river is not navi- gable during entire year. but improve ments which have already been made are sufficient to demonstrate that the main trunk of the river can be made navigable throughout the year and that the useful season of navigation can be greatly heightened on all the tributaries. The whole system. on account of the hard bot hai sta baD