The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-17
SHb-C Committee Grants the Hearing. Montgomery Man While Exploiting Merits of Alabams Waterway, Successfully Ensases Chair g'. saF''. '- r's'''.'
 Repsrtee. Advertiser Bureau, % Colorado Building,
 
Advertiser Bureau.
 Colorado Building, rxya -t, i.-kA. Daa Ic

Washington, Dec. 16.
 Mr. W. r. Vandiver. chairman of the
 Alabama River Improvement Company.
 who went to New York on private busi-
 ness, pending the appointment deter
 mined in the interval between the
 meeting of the Senate Committee on
 Commerce, before which he appeared
 in behalf of the river and a date to
 be set for hearing before a sub-com-
 mittee of, the House returned to Wash- ington this morning, in response to
 telegram from Representative Bank
 head and was accorded hearing at
 3 o'clock this evening before sub
 committee of the Rivers and Harbors
 Committee, consisting of Chairman
 Burton, Mr. Blshop of Michigan. the
 next ranking Republican on the conn
 mittee, and Mir. Bankhead, who has
 diligently looked after the interest of
 the Alabama River from the first.
 Chairman Burton. who had been con-
 fined to his room on account of rheu-
 matism appeared in excellent mood for
 work and he and his committee gave
 the closest attention to the presenta-
 tion of Chairman vandiver. of the
 River Committee, MT. Burton asked
 statements and arguments for the Ala
 
 unusual interest
 Most of the members of the Alabama
 representation in the House were pre-
 sent, and 1t Is not saying too much to report that the manner in which they congratulated Mir. Vandiver showed they were proud of the thorough. tact full. intelligent, and business like way in which he had impressed upon the chairman and members of the House Committee the merits of the States great river. At the outset, MT. vandiver made the unqualified assertion that the Ala | bama River presented a better proposi- tion than any other river project ex- cept the Mississippi River, in the coun- | try.
 Chairman Burton was feign to smile | at the force of the statement and said | he would have to looking into the | avowals of others, who had been be- | fore the committee showing as much | eloquence in favor of their respective | objects.
 MT. Vandiver thereupon said he pre- | stunned to rest his statement upon the l superior knowledge of Chairman Bur | ton. himself, who was reputed to be | thoroughly informed as to the Alabama River, as he was about all other rivers and harbors propositions and that no | doubt he could be relied upon to testify of the exceptional merit of the Ala ! bama River proposition.
 | At this adroit compliment, Chairman | Burton smiled, and declined to commit | himself.
 '"Then the chairman" said Mir. Van | diver, does not deny the correctness of | my statement This sally went home | and the committee, and the audience showed renewed interest as Mr. vandi- yer went into the subject and showed | the benefits the people of Alabama and ] the economy to the government to re- suit from it's substantial attention to | the long-ignored merits of the Alabama River.
 MT. Vandiver said in part: MT Vandiver's Remarks. We thank you for your Kindness in granting us an opportunity to appear before you. We had hoped that we | would have been able to appear before your entire Committee, but having seen fit not to grant such formal hearing, we appreciate the courtesy you have shown us by granting an informal hear ing before a subcommittee. Our delegation consists of representa- tives from various portions of the State | of Alabama, directly affected by the vention recently held in the Capital City of our State. for the purpose of devising ways and means to impress upon Congress the necessity for making an appropriation sufficient tq reclaim l the Alabama River. looking to all the year navigation.
 We have the honor to present a
 memorial of the Alabama River Con- | vention above referred to.
 In submitting this Memorial for your consideration. we desire. in brief | manner to review same. with a view
 of emphasizing some of the salient features contained therein.
 We wish. especially. to call your att tention to a statement made by one of your own members. at a recent Con- vention In Alabama, which statement ! is embodied in the letter of transmit tai from the Committee on Memorial.
 See Page 3.
 On Pages i and 3. we have given a brief history of the Alabaa River, and have shown the work done in for mer years by the Government for the improvement of the Alabama River, but which. as stated. has not been suf- ficient to keep the stream in navigable condition the year round. We have cited the present condition. and the pro- feet now recommended by your En- gineers, looking to securing the de- sired result.
 Beginning with Page '. of the pamphlet, we have embodied the pro- ceedings of the Alabama River Conven- ton. with extracts from the remarks of the various speakers.
 We would especially call your att tention to remarks of Lieutenant ana able R. M. Cunningham. Page 10. also of Hon. S. J. Bowie. Representative of the Fourth Congressional District, of Alabama, Page 13. It shows that. dur 0oo was appropriated looking the securing of q four-foot channel, and from 1892 to 1904 only $23O,OOO was appropriated, on basis Of securing six-foot channel, showing an average
 of inly s16,OO0 per year Tor tne twenty-five years. These appropria- tions have gradually decreased year by year from $7O,000 in 1894 to only $4, ,00O for 1904. The figures aDoxe show the actual allotment for the Alabarna River for the period named. when in fact, the recommendations of your Engineering Department amount ed to something over one million ana & half dollars, or, in other words, of the
 anoount estimated as necessary to be appropriated to secure the desired re- suit, only 14.6 per cent was actually appropriated. In view or the fact that the total value of the tonnage or tho renresents now about $13,0O0.0O0 per ! annum. what a vast amount of ton mage would have been developed, had the appropriations been nearer on the basis of the amounts recommended. Is If to he wondered then, that this neg feet of the Alabama River has caused such deterioration in the River and in its tonnage? .n,..,. Improyefnent," by a member of the | Convention. to whom was assigned this | subject, may be of interest. It shows, to a certain degree, the economy that
 would result from the improvement contemplated. Taking the combined economy on the three general items named, of s4S1, ,0O0 per annum. it would be equivalent to interest, at the rate of