The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-20
THE GREAT WEST,
AND IT'S FUTURE
Earnest Men Meet For Discus
sion of Pertinent Questions.
JOHN HENRY SMITH pRESIDES
OPENING SESSION OF TRANS
MISSISSIPPI CONGRESS.

Ut. PAUL. Mimi. Aug 19.-The
Mississippi commercial con-
gress was called TO order here this
morning by President John Henry
smith of Salt Lake City, with repre-
sentatives of the entire west present.
The jurisdiction of the congress ex-
tends TO the states of Arkansas, Cali
fornia, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas,
Nebraska. Nevada. Louisiana, Min
nesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ore
gon. South Dakota, Texas. Utah. Wash
ington, wyoming. Arizona. Indian ter
ritory. New Mexico, Oklahoma, Alaska,
Hawaiian island and the Philippines
In outlining the work of the congress
for the present session, President
Smith said: THE object of the trans
Mississippi congress is to crystalline
the opinions of the western country in
regard to the matters of national legis-
Iation and to bring them before con-
gress in such q manner as TO effect the
greatest good.
Range of Discussion.
$50 far as 1 know, there is no par
ticular topic for discussion, other than
what may be brought up in individual
delegations. An effort viii be made at
this session to bring about consider
alton of the difficulties of the west.
There is now a mining congress, a live
stock congress, an irrigation congress,
a good roads congress. all operating in
harmony. but separately. The idea that
better results could be obtained from a
concentration of those is becoming more
and more widespread. and it will re-
ceiVe consideration at the present Ses-
sion"
The congress was opened with an in
voca ton by Archbishop Ireland, after
which addresses of welcome were de-
lIvered by Governor Van SAINT d. w.
LawIer. on behalf of Mayor Smith; E.
Z. Stringer for the Commercial club,
and Rufus A. Hoyt. Minnesota. After
the response of President Smith this
morning the session closed.
Changes in Programme.
Owing to the non-arrivaf of some OF
the speakers who had been placed upon
the programme for this afternoons Ses-
sion, a number of changes were neces-
STATED. Colonel L. F. Brown of Aspen,
Colo, read a paper on mines and Min
ing" in which he urged the congress to
take measures to secure the creation of
a governmental department of mines
and mining whose head shall be a mem
Der of the presidents cabinet. z. r.
Moses of the executive committee dis
cussed the proposition to maintain a
secretary of the congress at Washing
ton, whose duty it shall be to advise
the trans Mississippi interests of mat
tiers pending before the national legis-
Iature by which they may be affected.
The afternoon session was shortened
somewhat in order to allow delegates
to participate in a steamboat excur-
sion.
F. b. Thurber of New York created
a stir early in the afternoon session
during the delivery of a comprehensive
address upon the cattle industry by
stating that after three months inves-
LEGATION he has been unable to substan-
tiate the charges that there is beef
trust" His opinion, he said, is that the
large increase in cost of all meats is
due to natural causes, beef prices hav-
ing been advanced by the failure of last
years corn crop and the consequent in
crease of cost in fattening cattle.
After speaking extensively of the
process by which beef cattle reach the
butcher shops. Mr.. Thurber asserted
that there is no meat combine. num-
Der of the delegates took issue with
Mr.. Thurber on this question, and the
discussion was quite animated for some
time.
Tonight the subject under discussion
was Alaska" and among those who
spoke were Donald Fletcher of Seattle,
whose topic was Territorial Govern
ment of Alaska" and J. A Ivy. for
merly in the custom service. who spoke
of the commercial condition of the ter
ritory. One of the priT--ipal speakers
at tomorrow's session will be j. j. Hill,
president of the Great Northern rail-
way. who will discuss the subject of
trade with the Orient
Serious Charges Made.
Serious charges against Governor
Brady of Alaska were made in the
trans Mississippi congress tonight by
Donald Fletcher of Seattle, who assert
ed that the governor was the exponent
of a policy of oppression and repres-
sion, and the active agent of the great
commercial companies in delaying self
government. while they "gobbled up
the best of a magnificent country
He took issue with Governor Brady s
recommendations in his last report TO
congress for the fun extension of the
land laws to Alaska. asserting that the
recommendation had an Interior pur-
pose, and was in the interest of the
powerful elements dominating the prog
ress of the territory. The application
he charged. would be Unfortunately de-
iayed by clubbing and filibusterins in
congress
Then would follow years of waiting
and waiting continued the speaker
while his bosses would go on COB
bling up the best of that magnificent
country, worth many times the entire
national debt. And that is part of the
game"
He also asserted that Governor Brady
had been consistently an enemy of the
territorial government for selfish aims
As soon as Fletcher's address was COM
pleted F. B. Thurber of New York
presented resolutions demanding an in
vestigauon of the charges. He took
exception to Mr.. Fletcher's structures
upon Governor Brady. declaring that
he knew the latter well. and that he
did not believe for a moment that his
actions We're dominated or dictated by
any selfish motives.