The Washington times., 1906-01-16
Chief Issue of Meeting
OF National Board Of
Trade Here.
WAXING FOR N. B. KELLY
Delegates Expect Battle
When Secretary of PhiIadel-
phia-League Arrives.

| The thi-ty-sixth annual meeting Of the
/ National Board OF Trade was opened
] al noon today al the New Willard Ho-
/ Tel bS The president. Col. J. J. Sullivan.
/ of Cleveland.
+ The vast amount ~ work before The
/ convention has necessitated the division
+ of u among many committees. The aD-
/ poiuta.ent OF these was the first busI-
/ ness q the day
/ Dtafile tic variety Of subjects INK
/ TiA come H. during the con -eullGr. =
( seems clear that the railroad rate
! problem VIII 0Utshine all others
Freight Napoleon Coming.
While many Of the delegates have
said cuea4v that warm scenes are not
. .-LtllipataG and that only conserva-
tlte u-tlr-lce ou this question may be
. looked for. D. IS declared quIelIy today
. fLat With the arrival Of X. 3. Kelly.
( whose initiuIs are said 10 stand Tor
f Napoleon BoEaparte.' there is going
Jo D. - battle or.
5ir. Kelly IS SAID 20 be a veritabls
+ 'N4l1leon" ia the realms OF freight
iraLi- Ite II secretary and freight
( eosalai~siautr o. the PHILADELPHIA Trades
T iearAr and has, charge of all the trans.
p0r-atlJu problems affecting 900 rrar-
chants Tuiz league Is said 10 be tho
largest or its kind in The country ana
us prophet. Dir. Kelly. is said TO be the
3 best Verscd man on freight problems
attending tais meeting. His league has
5 gone oD record in hearty favor or some
rate regulation, but recommends that
/ ta.a power bs exercised with "moder-
alton. caution. and SELF restraint
Warm Speech Likely.
Sir. Kelly VIII make d warm speech
+ If the occasion presents itself and viii
holC the attention of all. as he has had
| q quarter OF century experience in
/ railroad matters.
He IS said 10 have come TO the con
vention not alone. Among his mzrsla!s
are Finley Acker. chairman OF The IA
! tinal executive committee. Charles J.
I II9Aeh. "; " FoulkrOd. Mahl0u \.
Aiecr. aEu LEWIS NJ Haupt
! In the opening speech President SuIli-
van cDacluGeI with these words.
When the National Board OF Trade
tIAeS iJs seal OF approval upon any leg
iSlatiTf measure or administrative policy
! L should De able 10 bring 20 its support
tne added influence OF every reputahls
organization and or every patriotic bust
ness man IN the United States II this
]
Board OF Trade viii become q EuA and
noble orSaDizauOl, which shall stand for
the highest ideals of government, as also
for nstio1el integrity and progress
Colonel Sullivan has declared lie Will
not again accept the OtEice of president
An election viii be he'll tomorrow.
In the evening there 1lli be a dinner.
10 which the following are the invited
guests, President Roosevelt Vice Presi-
dent Fairbanks. Secretary Shaw. Speak
cr Cannon. Senator Jacob II. Gallinger,
/ Theodore z. Burton, Samuel ". Mccall,
( John Sharp Williams, Frederick G. Ste
vens. Francis W Cushman. Julius Kahn
and oscar p Austin
Washington Our Neptune.
one Of the most interesting delegates
/ 10 the meeting, as well as 10 the rivers
! and harbors convention. is W. A. Meese,
/ president Of the board of trade OF Mo-
Hue. III. Mr.. Meese is a former news
paper man. lawyer, and a writer Of
short Indian histories. He has devoted
much time 10 the study OF the life and
times Of Washington. and has come 70
the conclusion that the immortal WASH
ington was not only the father OF his
country. but also of river improvements
in the United States
In discussing rivers and harbors, which
have attracted attention from the cons
lington Hotel, Mr. Meese said this morn-
ing:
From the time Washington as ads
/ jutant general OF State militia Of Virs
ginia. in 1853 made his journey 10 the
Ohio river settlements. he had given
/ special attention to the possibilities Of
water communication DetWeen the East
and West. In l730 he said. what We
most need Were easy transit lines be-
tween East and West as the channel OK
conveyance of the extensive and vaiu-
able trade Of a rising empire Befors
resigning his commission as commando
er-in-ch1ef of cur army in l7S3. he ex-
plored the route through the Mohawk
Valley. which was afterward taken by
the Erie canal, and sa-er by the New
York Central railroad
After is-retirement from the army.
he turned his attention TO the improve
ment of intercourse with the West
through the valley Of the Potomac.
''Ie said: The East and the West
must be cementcd together by interests
in common. It is easy for mental
habits, as well as merchandise, to glide
down streams and the connections OF
the settlers beyond the mountains all
center in New Orleans, which is i'm the
hands Of a foreign and hostile power.
No one can tell what complications
may arise from this. Let us bind these
people to US by d chain that can never
be broken.
Started Great Highway.
He started out to establish that line
OF communication that afterward be.
came the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
and which today is the Baltimore ana
Ohio railroad.
During 1885, he was made president
OF a cDnUuny for extending the pavI.
cation of the Potomac and Jane,
rviers, and the Legislature of Vfrgfnts