The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-04
FAREWELL BANQUET TO MAJOR
 LFACH.
Reunion of tho Delegation to Washing
 lon of 1898.

toh OA loUot
 In 1897 the New Haven Chamber of
 Commerce, under the administration of
 President George H. Ford, instituted a
 movement in behalf of extensive inn
 provements for New Haven harbor. By
 request of President Ford, Henry c.
 Rowe, who was then secretary of the
 committee on harbor, prepared for pre- | sentation to congress a careful state
 ment of the reasons why extensive i'm
 provements of New Haven harbor should be made by the United States government.
 l The Chamber of Commerce procured the cooperation of various other organ
 izations, including the city of New Ha- ven, the Connecticut State Board
 of Trade, the harbor commissioners
 and the Connecticut Oyster Grow
 CTS association. A delegation rep
 repsenting these various organiza-
 tions went to Washington in
 February, 1898, and presented the needs
 of New Haven to the committee on
 rivers and harbors of congress. A mem
 Der of that committee said at that time
 that no matter which had been pre-
 sented to that committee from any part
 of the country had been stated any
 more effectively than this.
 A provision was made at that time
 for the expenditure of $395000 for dredging New Haven harbor, in addi-
 ton to the expenditure for the work on the breakwater This amount was greater by $105,OO0 than the total ex- penditure for dredging the harbor which had previously been made.
 This work has been in operation un- der the efficient direction of Major Smith $. Leach of the United States engineers ever since that time, and two or three more years will, be required to complete 1t.
 After the work of this delegation was completed at Washington the party held banquet at which were present in addition to those from New Haven, Senator o, IT. Platt and General Joseph R. Hawley, and our efficient congressman, HonsA N. D. Sperry.
 A reunion of these delegation was talked of from time to time, and about a year ago Eli c. Birdsey, who was one of the representatives of the State Board of Trade in the delegation, in- vited the party to Meriden as his guests at banquet, which was much enjoyed by all the participants.
 Since that time another reunion has been talked of among the members, but Henry c. Rowe, chairman of the committee on harbor has Invited the delegation to be his guests at dinner at the New Haven house next Tuesday evening. He has also arranged to have as guests at that time Major Smith s. Leach. who is about to leave this dis trict to take charge of another in the west, of which St. Louis is the head quarters. Major Leach has had charge for several years of the erection of for tifications, the improvement of the har bors, and the construction of breakwa- ters in this district, including Connec- ticut and portions of New York and Rhode Island. He is an officer of great ability and highly esteemed, not only by the officers of the war department, but by all who have become acquainted with him in this district, His depart ure Is much regretted. Another guest | at the banquet will be Major Powell, | who will be the successor of Major | Leach.
 MI, IlOWe , guests nave petil ititeleSt- ed in the effort for the improvement of | New Haven harbor, and many of them | have given much time and work to this | Among them will be the | following; Major Smith s. Leach and | Major Powell of the United States en- | gineers, w. F. Merrill. first vice presi- dent of the New York, New Haven and | Hartford Railroad Co.,. General Ed ward F. Bradley, president of the | Chamber of Commerce; Past Presi- 1ents General George H. Ford, Hon. James D. Dewell and Max Adler; Major P. M. Clark, exMayor F. B. Earns worth. William H. Ely w. s. Wells, Alfred F.. Hammer, John T. Manson, John c. North, J. A. Seely, Wilson H. Lee, Eli c. Birdsey of Meriden, F. H. Weaver, and Frank C. Bushnell,