The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-16
URGES NEW WHARF
COUNCIL COMMITTEE HEARS AD~
 DRESSES ON THE SUBJECT.
Messrs. Vandiver and Lewis show tmportance of the Protect.--Alder- men To Meet Again Next
 Tuesday.

w r. Vandiver, President, and Wal ter F. Lewis Manager. of the Montgom- cry Freight Bureau, strongly urged the construction by the City of Montgom- cry. of modern river wharf. at an open meeting of the City Council on Fi- nance and Public Works.
 The meeting was held at o'clock In the office of Mayor Teague.
 For at least an hour Mir. vandiver spoke tn the committee while explain ing and impressing the necessity for the immediate building of a wharf at the foot of Commerce street in order that the demands of the times and interests Of commerce might be met
 Th~ snhjeet proved to be of more than ordinary interest to the members or the committee. and MT. Vandiver was frequently interrupted in the course of his remarks in order that he might answer questions bearing on the situation.
 Mir. Vandiver was followed in his re- marks by MT. Lewis who concurred in all that the President Of the freight bureau had said. and brought out sev- erai additional points of argument in favor Of the wharf project.
 The committee did not take final action on the matter, but adjourned un- til next Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock. when another meeting will be hold in the Mayors office. at which time Mir. Lewis will again be heard, and after which, an agreement will be reached for q report to the City Council. The scn- timent of the committee appears to be largely in favor of the construction of a wharf
 Yesterdays meeting was presided over by Alderman Nathan Lobman. chairman of the joint committee. Other members present were; Aldermen A. l., Tyson, Foster, Jones, Tait, Gunter and Hudson. Others in attendance were Mayor Teague. City Attorney C. P Me- Intyre, City Engineer A. R. Gilchrist, W. F. Vandiver. w H. Moore alter P. Lewis and W. F. Black.
 Tn calling the meeting to order Mir. Lobman read the recent communication of Mayor Teague to the Council urgA ing improvements on the wharf. He de- sired to know what action the commit tee would take on the message.
 Mir. Vandiver was then invited to address the assembly. A great part of his argument was devoted to an appeal for the commercial interests of Mont gomery that would be materially bene- fitted if the wharf was built. thereby compelling more equitable adjust ment of freight rates to Mont gomery from the East and West. He said that Montgomery was receiving no consid- eration from the outside world on ac- count of it's river facilities It occurred to him that, for the small investment In the wharf improvements, no man should hesitate, He said there is now only one boat coming to Mont gomery because the facilities do not justify more. but he guaranteed five boats with the proper facilities and the business to justify it.
 He spoke of the $100000 which had been appropriated by Congress for deepening the channel of the Alabama River and said that in recent talk with the Congressional Committee on Rivers and Harbors, now on a South ern tour. he was assured that the people would have every reason to be satis- fled with the next action of Congress in appropriation for the Alabama River
 Alderman Gunter said the city might not have the financial facilities at present to build the wharf and he asked MT. Vandiver if he would be in favor of levying an extra general tax for securing the funds. Mfr. Vandiver said he would ardently support such a meas ure.
 City Engineer Giichrist was called upon to suggest plans and estimates for the proposed wharf He recom- mend"i a plan for a sloping wharf running from the food of the under pass to the river front, to be underlaid with concrete and covered with granite pavement. This, he estimated, would cost about s5.300.
 Mir. Lewis then appeared before the committee urging the wharf improve ments He made a favorable impress sion.
 City Attorney Mcintyre on call from Alderman Foster, reviewed the history of the wharf movement In the old City Council. It had first been brought up in a resolution by Alderman J. P. Kohn. A subsequent measure for build ing the wharf had been referred to the Streets Committee. composed of him self. Mir. Teague and Mir Roemer and there it had remained because of lack of money.
 Mayor Teague strongly advocated the wharf. and in an informal talk, he presented his views on the matter.
 The greatest thing 1t will do," he said. will be to make the East and the West do business with Montgom- cry as centre and give us the proper rates"
 At 6:15 o'clock the committee went into executive SC ssion and, after de- | liberation, action was postponed until | the meeting Tuesday afternoon.
 The committee took up several other | minor matters that came before 1t and | adjourned at 6;45 o'clock.
 ------------------------