The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-19

ptopt!ate luHdS TOT tne purpose and
strongest men OF this state and otlor
States. = - a q III -
The. promoters are confident OF OBJ
tain;nE the aid Of Congress and are
surance doubly sure.
General Hardin Speaks.
a meeting OF the Chamber OF Com
rnerce held last night was for the pur-
pose OF bringing the matter before tho
repre- sentative business men OF Rich-
Spa t sh9w sny e sas ss4 a .Ra hs
river would be benefited by the deep
waterway. The speaker OF the evening
was General r. Watt Hardin. former
argument, covering OIL possible advan-
channel. and refuting any ob1ectlon
Tpe = ad1e be rnssi tS Il ead that Ia.
the business ente rprisc OF the STATE
had been long neglecting one Of Its
greatest factors for commercial SUI
The meeting which was a well.at-
tended one considering the bad wealth
er, was presided over by Mr.. George.
Bryan. a member OF the Chamber OF
lawyers Of the city, who before intro
ducing the speaker explained the OBJ
jects Of the Upper James River Valley
League. AS q member OF the Joint
committee for the Improvement OF the
river Mr.. Bryan said that he heartily
speech showed that the plan is emf
pertaft Tor he Bill iii asking the appro-
priatton to be got before the next ses-
Sion Of Congress-.
Opening his speech. General Hardin
birth ali his ancestors were. and the
interests OF the mother State are his
as much SO az those OF his own. 1t was
by the rparest chance that the promo.
such able Representation of their cause
before the people of Richmond.
General Hardin. who Is visiting rel.
atives IN the State. attended several
being impressed with the feasibility
views before them. Recognizing the
ya s oSs a nd
the Chamber OF Commerce.
| For Good OF state.
| While having for Its specific purpose
the river, the league, he said. has at
heart. the good OF the whole state. and
will lend its laid and influence to any
plan which WI add to 9th, the progressye-
pressed upon his hearers the fact that
the league was not organized for the
purpose Of making money or for ad-
The greatest cities of the world. he
said, h ave been built by little else than
yS 1hings 9z good nsnn transporsa.ion
pies OF this he cited the Egyptian ca
nails the Appian Way and other great
roads OF the Roman Empire. and the
roads o.. the Andes. which, though built
before the discovery OF the New World,
are still in use. As modern example.
Statistics were shown that the Erie
Canal. built before the time Of railways.
mage than both Of the two Railways
which run parallel to it. No great city.
he declared, can hope to receive It's
measure OF prosperity unless it looks
transportation which can be utilized
In speaking. of the State OF: Virginia
ne me- mace manifest the start that
tent of tidewater boundary, the great
est3river fall and the possibilities OF
her coal fields are richer than those
sIher streams runs directly from these
!! GOAL fields into one of the best llarbors
| In the world
General Hardin then showed the ad-
4 power and water transportation in.the
case of the largest cities in the United
i States, and called the attention OF his
4 audience Of canals Joining the Great
Lakes with the: Mississippi. Chicago i
Y Canal than New York. and to offse.
this advantage the latter State Is ap-
j propriating great sums OF money t.
!. Improve its inland water facilities sc
A as to command Its share of the com
merce Incident to tn ebuilding of tho
canal.
Will Name Committee.
Tho last Congress, he said; appro-