The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-17
'CONGRESSMEN ARE WELCOMED Distinguished Party in
 Montgomery. WERE GIVEN A BREAKFAST Rivers and Harbors Committee
 Here Two Hours. h speeches Messrs. Docener and BIsh- op Praise colonel Bankhead--
 MT. yandiyer shows
 Rivers Value.
 

The members of the Rivers and Har- bors Committee of Congress yesterday morning completed their Southern tour of investigation and were entertained in Montgomery.
 The party was given breakfast at the Union Railway Station by the Com mercial Club of Montgomery and was afterwards driven over important streets of the city and to historic points iu Montgomery.
 Although the party spent but two hours in the city, those two hours were full of interest and the visitors expressed themselves as delighted with Montgomery aRd with their Southern trip.
 The party has been in the South for about two weeks. Rivers and harbors in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mis- sissippi have been inspected by them. Tho Committee has been strictly working committee and their days in Dixie have been busily spent
 It was not originally planned that the committee should come to Morit- gomery However, a committee con- sisting of w. r. Vandiver, Major w. w. Screws and C. F. Moritz waited on the Committee at Pensacola and Mo- bile and presented the claims of the Alabama River. The local committee also invited the Congressional party to visit Montgomery and It was declded to spend two hours here.
 Members of the Party.
 The party reached here at 6:50 o'clock vesterday morning. The Representa- lives in Congress were Blackburn B. Doyener of West Virginia. Roswell F. Bishop of Michigan, Ernest F. Acheson of Pennsylvania, De Alva s. Alexander of New York. James McLachlan of Cal ifornia, Wesley l.. Jones of Washing ton, Edgar F. Ellis of Missouri; ste~ phen M. Sparkman or F1orlaa, George F. Burgess of Texas; Benjamin G. Humphries of Mississippi, William C.. Adamson of Georgia.
 The rest of the party is composed or James H. Cassidy of Ohio, clerk or tho committee; Joseph H. McGann, assist ant clerk; Mrs. Bishop, Mrs. Aoheson, Miss Acheson. Mrs. MacLachlan, Mrs. Ellis, Mrs. Cassidy, Mrs. Adamson and son, Richard Sherman, Captain Cava- nauah. United states Army Engineer.
 Upon the arrival of the train at ! o'clock yesterday morning members of the party wera promptly escorted to the dining room of the Union station and breakfast was served. w. Y. yandiver occupied one end of the ta- ble and A. G. Forbes, President or the comercial Club, tho other.
 Mir. vandiver, who had appeared be- fore the Committee in Washington in tbe interest of the Alabama River and was well known to the members, acted as spokesman. In brief but eompre- hensiyo way he referred to the pleas ure felt at having the members of the committee here, and gave some inter esting facts about the Alabama River. Although greatly pressed for time, ne established the importance of the river 70 he q hoped that due consideration would be given to 1t. He then asked Major w. W. Screws to say few words in way of welcome to Montgomery.
 Welcome By Major Screws.
 Major Screws said that there were present, the chairman of the Alabama River Improvement Committee Ter Montgomery and adjacent territory, MT Vandiyer, the Pres ant of the com merciaI organization Captain Forbes, and the Mayor of Montgomery Hon. W. M Teague.
 aOur distinguished Governor would have been present." said Major Screws, but for work at late hour last night on an important State matter. This shows the interest felt in your Vislt' and in you personally and officially. AS time is pressing. 1t Is impossible to say more than a few words in way of well come to Alabama's Capital City. Your work is appreciated more and more ev- cry year. and the country will come to think, in spite of the new gospel Of peace by Shot and shell, that 1t Is bet ter to annually expend $100,000,00O to improve water ways and harbors than to use a similar amount in attempts through an enlarged navy. to extend our commerce into other and distant countries.
 we have an interesting and historic city here and regret that your limited stay will forbid your seeing much or It."
 A Word for Colonel Bankhead.
 In response to the speeches of well como. MT. Dovener. of West Virginia. said:
 "IAadies and Gentlemen:
 We regret very much that 1t was not possible for us to have with us your fellow Statesman, Colonel Bankhead. but for certain reasons 1t was not con venient for him to accompany us. The 6ommittee considers him one of the hest posted men, one of the most in- fluential and one of the most energetic on our committee. We recognize his great ability and we are largely in- flueneed by his wise counsel. We ap- preciate his devotion to the interests Of his people and the patriotism to his country at large. and we feel that It Is to the interest of the people or Ala bama to see that he is kept in the place he now occupies. We are sorry that