The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-27

] Representative Bankhead, who, for / number of years has been a member
 of the House Committees on hlses.
 and Harbors, gave to The Advertiser 1 correspondent the following statement on the appropriations made Tor Aiay l bama, which will explain in greater detail the dispatches formerly sent "The bill making appropriations TOT | the improvement of rivers ana harpots | has been in course of preparation since l the first of December and was reported l to the House a few days ag1. tas ny necessarily involves 9. great amount oL | labor in an examination of volumes of reports by the engineers who nave lh
 charge the making Of surveys ana a fs, l inmates and recommendations as to the l feasibility and value of any particular project Oftentimes the, report ot these engineers Is adverse to a scneme
 which its friends think demands the attention of the committee.
 "Estimates by the Chief pf Engineers and the Board of Review are often l much lower than made by the iocai engineer in charge. Io oNsfocnte .s.il these adverse reports Is q dimeuit mat- ter. The committee Is always slew tsa n disregard the recommendations or n 2 engineers as 1t Is necessary tnat tnfB
 reports be closely followed; otherwisse s
 many worthless and expensive projects
 would be undertaken. The present
 bill has been framed with a view to
 existing commerce and such IuIure
 commerce and value as may De deVei'
 oped by the improvement. Large ap.
 propriations are often made with the latter object in view
 Liberal to Alabama.
 Alabama has shared ltberaily m tne present. Dill and when 1t becomes law
 will have to her credit Tor the nhaei in.pagssis Mobile the magnificent sum oz S4stSL.TS ' 79S. which includes unexpended pal ances heretofore appropriated ana how
 per cent of a total of $50. 900, 900, ap- nroxmately the amount carried Tn. the bill. When we consider that the pro- portion of the population of Aiaoama to the whole population IS aoout per about three e-fourths of one per cent of the total wealth of the country. we may have some idea of how we'll Aie- bama has fared in the pending bnr
 "The completion of the Warrior hvss CT system is practically provided TOT In the bill, result which its irleuos. have been seeking for a number or years This system has been regarded by the committee as very important. for two reasons; first, the development of the extensive coal fields contiguous to It's banks, and, second to demon strate the value and benents 10 loiloW the cana1ization of rivers
 "When this river is opened to the Gulf if its value to commerce IS not commensurate with the exEense IT. cured, 1t will be an example or the useless expenditure of money. e. HOW. that conditions on the Warrior are more favorable than on any other 6lysr In the United States. .The coal nelds to be developed are nearer the aseai ses, port of importance to the Panama tGaa- nal and if the improvements or tnis system does not largely contribute Lo regulate and reduce freight rates from <~t,a trfN if will be a gerat disappointment to its friends.
 May Ship Coal To Gulf.
 ''There will be s2,S12. 900 for the compile tion of this work from Mobile 10 a point about five miles above the uppss true that an additional lock and dam will be required near Locust ana Mui- berry Forks to back water into potn streams. 1t is comparatively ,sn,.p imexpenss ths work below Is completed. The coal operators of the Birmingham district may now. begin to make preparatlons for the shipment of coal by water s1 not exceeding S7 1-2 cents per ton.
 ''The prosecution of this work nas never been regarded as local one, put as national in its character and enScl and the result is being watched by the entire country By fhe time the locks provided for in the present bill are have no doubt put that canal from the Warrior to Birmins- ham will be well under way. The ben efits that are to accrue to Alabama can not be estimated. AZ
 .'The Importance to Alabama by the Of the Tennessee River in Alabama to Florence. which secures, including $I00, 000 unexpended. $71S.OoO. cannot be overlooked. The canal at Col bert and Bee Tree Shoals is provided for to completion. which will secure six foot channel the year round to Florence. The thriving towns of Flor ence Sheffield and Tuscumbia. at the head of this improvement, lnciudlng the entire Tennessee Valley, will real, ize at once the great benefits that will follow. It will bring them in con nection by water transportation, with the Mississippi River and the great commercial cities along its banks and 
 HarbOr of Mobile.
 "The harbor at Mobile receives, Tn uneXpended balances, $t1l,95I' of which amount $5o,0O9 In the dlscres ton of the Secretary of War, may be used in deepening the outer bar and $1O.O0O may be used in removing dead heads and other instructions in the. channel: This completes the twenty-three toot channel at Mobile and enters upon the twenty seven foot channel project and it's completion is only a question oe time and money. Mobile is the only port in Alabama t5r99ugh ,,Hes wesch farms mus and factories to the markets Of the world. Therefore the entire State is deeply interested in the speedy ccmple- tion of it's harbor.
 The Alabama River has for the of the work for four foot channel the year round from its mouth to Montgomery, including an uneXpSI9- ed balance. the sum of S259,000. This project has been most difficult one to present to the committee. The local engineer in charge recommended only S100. OO0, which was approved bv the Chief of Engineers and the Board of Review. After considerable discussion, the importance of the river, nresent and prospective commerce the committee decided to double the amount and made an appropriation ot $200, ,000. ,.-s.t,
 "I regard the Alabama River, consid- arint- inc amount necessary for it's one of the most deserving