The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-02-23
Taft HONORED GUEST
Secretary Of War Attends Annual Din.
ner of Detroit Board of Commerce.
SPEAKS ON "rHE NATIONS TASK"
All Now Ready for Actual Building Of
Canal, He DecIares-Many Other
Prominent Men Present-0overnor
Warner Among Those Who Spoke.

OotrOlt, MlcH.s rcp. ~. ITO ooC-
ond annual dinner of the Detroit Board
of Commerce, the city's active and
effective business organization, occur
red at the Hotel Cadillac Monday
night, and undoubtedly eclipsed any
similar function in the history OF De-
troit.
The guest of honor and chief speak
er was the Hon. Secretary OF War VIM.
H. Taft.
Fully 500 of the flower Of Detroit's
business men paid their six dollars a
plate and discussed menu worth the
money. President of the Board OF
Commerce c. F. Bielman, presided, and
at his table sat men prominent In ma
tional, state and municipal affairs.
In the matter of detail, the affair
moved like a piece of machinery, and
the Board of Commerce fully estab-
lished its reputation as entertainers OF
the highest order. Preceding the BAN
quet, a reception was rendered Sec
rotary Taft and his companions, at
the Chamber of Commerce, and thou
sands of citizens paid their respects
to the man who has in so short time
risen to so powerful place in the
councils of the nation.
Taft Spoke First.
The first toast of the evening was
1.-THE Nations Task" responded to
by Secretary Taft 1t quickly devel-
cped that in Mr.. Taft's opinion the
great task of this nation is the build
ing of the Panama canal, and this was
the topic to which the secretary Of
war addressed himself.
He described the various routes that
first presented themselves and told
why the Panama route was adopted.
He explained the conditions that ex-
isted and the great outlay of money
and effort necessary to make life a
fairly reasonable risk to the laborer,
which must be imported. He told of
the $50 years Of Panama's existence
Without any regard to hygiene, and
told what was necessary 10 revolu-
tionize this condition of affairs, and
stated that now, for the first time,
Panama and other towns on the line
have a decent water supply and they
are also severed.
Now Ready to Dig.
GAIL Is now ready" said Mr.. Taft,
"to begin the actual building of the
canal, and the next two years, under
The supervision of Chief Engineer Ste
phens, will show actual results. The
government now has all the stock Of
the Panama railroad, but will have to
double track the line to make 1t suffi-
cient for the needs of canal construc-
ton. Patience is what is still vitality
needed"
In closing, Secretary Taft had this
10 say:
Guests of Honor.
The guests of honor besides Secre-
tary Taft, were: Congressman J. Adj
am Bede, of Duluth: Congressman
Henry McMoran, of Port Huron, and
George A. Loud, of Au Sable; Gov.
Fred M. Warner, Bishop Foley, Com.
Charles E. Fox, U. s. NJ Fred. M.
Carpenter, secretary to M. Taft, and
Rear-Admiral Cotton.
At the speakers table, besides the
guests of honor, were: President G. F..
Bielman, of the Board of Commerce;
Vice-President John N. Bagley, and
George NJ Black, Mayor Codd, Chair
man James Inglis, Secretary Ryerson
Richie, Homer Warren, Don M. Dick
inson, d. M. Ferry, Ex-President M.
j. Murphy, j. L. Hudson, General H.
NJ. Duffield, Col. Frank J. Hecker and
John T. Rich.
1t was fully midnight before the
end was reached, but the affair was
enthusiastically voted both profitable
and enjoyable.
Bay City, Mich, Feb. H.-The Sec