The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-02
Why THEY COULDN'T COME.
Chairman OF Rivers and Harbors Conf
mittce Gives no Definite Time as 10
When He VIII Visit this Port-Cty
OF Wilmington Would Have Enter
tanned Members OF Committee Roy
aIis IL They Had Come.

aIiy IL They Had Come.
The following Washington special to
The Noraing Post gives the reasons OF
the Rivers and Harbors committee for
% visiting Wilmington at the present
time:
Tho house river and harbor commit
tee vii not make a visit TO Whining
ton and other North Carolina coast
points as contemplated by Chairman
Burton. This decision was reached to-
day when the subject was brought up
soon after the committee assembled.
The pressing work ahead Of the COM
mittec n the short time before the
assembling OF congress were influence
ing factors that caused abandonment OF
the proposed trip. but one member
made the comment that there had been
10 invitation from Wilmington To make
such a visit. This member went so Ear
as 10 say that Congressman Small
seemed to ba tie only interested party.
and expressed regret that the commit
tee could not make the visit on his ac-
cunt.
Chairman Burton was very anxious
70 visit Wilmington and Beaufort as
well. and he intimated that these points
as we'll as others in North Carolina,
having important river and harbor in
t~erests, would be visited in the Z
future.
Mr.. Burton IS interested in the Beau
fort project. When asked If it would
be possible to get an entirely new
scheme in the river and harbor bill, he
! sad that he would not like TO make a
! positive statement. Il never advise the
purchase OF town lots on the strength
of an appropriation" was the chair
mans humorous comment.
Both the North Carolina SenatoV
viii go to work 10 a the Beauf&t
! project included in the river and htr-
Dor bin as soon as congress convyhes.
| They VIII have the support OF Senator
Aldrich and other influential nls1nbers
of congress.
"When here last week Segator Sim
| mons said he would introduce at the
earliest opportunity a bill appTipriatlnS
$3.50, 600 for the construction OF a break
water. which will give the Beaufort
harbor a depth of twenty-five feet. The
engineer who suggested the project tod
Senator Simmons that the
harbor could be given . depth of thirty
five feet ultimately, and of course the
scheme will be pressed to a finally.
! The senior senator believes that e
fort harbor has a great future, anu
| some day, he predicts, it will be one
of the largest and most important ports
On the South Atlantic coast. Senator
Simmons idea is to make To
the South Atlantic what Norfolk is -
the North Atlantic. Hatteras is the
barrier that cuts Norfolk off from the
| south and prevents large traffic, wh'ch
| would naturally fall into Beauforts
| arms il the harpor is properly devel-
Oped."
1t will be noticed that in the above
| article that one of the congressman
| stated that there had been no invita-
| ton to the committee to visit Whining
ton and that Congressman Small SEEM
| ed to be the only party interested. AS
| a whole the committee was not invited,
! for the chamber had little, or no idea,
that the committee, which has efgh-
| teen members could visit this port.
| umerou invitations We're sent to
| Congressman Burton. the chairman OF
| the rivers and harbors re-
| uuesting that he visit this port n
| skiing tina as many members of the
| committee as possible accompany him.
In addition to these invitations letters
were written to both congressman
| Small and Patterson and also to the
two ~enators from this state asking
them to use all of their influence to get
Congressman Burton to visit Whining
toC.
IL WAS III lIlsb lIic AZ VI Mn
merce or city of Wilmington was lack
ing in hospitality that a special invt-
tat:on was not sent to the committee
as a whole to visit this port, but be-
cause the chamber did not think thai
a~v che would come but the chairman.
If the committee had come they would
have received a royal welcome and
been shown every courtesy. 1t is to
be regretted that the committee could
not visit the harbors of the North Car
DINA coast for then they would have
been in position to know just what
should be done. This is ~especiaIy
true in regard to the Cape Fear. The
citizens have almost lost hope now, but
they will continue their efforts to get
| Congressman Burton to come here. II
is a matter of the greatest import u
Wilmington that an appropriation be
| made large enough to maintain the
| channel of the Cape in its present
condition. and If it is not it will ma
teriaIIy affect the shipping to this port.
The foreign exports from this port last
year were in value four times those
of Charleston and twice those OF Nor
ok
The following Associated Press teie-
gram was received last night:
WASHINGTON, November 30.-Because
of lack of time before the converting
Of congress-, the house committee on
rivers and harbors has abandoned SIS
contemplated trip to Wilmington. y. c.
TO 'ook into the improvements there.
There is . possibility that the commit
tee may arrange for a visit 10 Whining
ton some time during the session, but
no plans with that end n view have beer
nade.