Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-11-19
COMMERCIAL CONGRESS ON Hundreds of Representa- tlves From Various States Gathering at Muskogee, Okla., Today
 GOVERNOR HASKELL Opens Bie Meetine-Various Important
 Matters to Be Discussed at tl,e
 Great Congre>s-Other NOtablcS
 There-Prosram Announced
GOVERNOR HASKELL

lncludln2 governors, congressman and other officials of state and national reputatio on, are the guests of Musko- se, coming here to participate ir tha eighteenth annual Trans -Missss,ppi Commercial congress. opening today. Ohlahoma's entrance into the Union was the keynote of the opening sA5- sion. the principal speaker being G,v- ernor C. N. Haskell, who on last s,t- urday was sworn in as the first exeHi.- tive of the forty-siXth state
 All the sessions of the cong ess, which will extend through the week, will De held in the great new eonyen- ton hall built for the purpose by the people Of Muskogee at cost of S1O0,- 900. The Muskogee Commercial club, the Hundred Thousand club and the citizens of the city generally have joined in extending an enthusiastic welcome to the thousands of visitors, and the entertainment plans, which have been going forward for several months, are on more elaborate scale than ever before attempted in Okla horna
 One of the most important subjects before the congress is that of bring ing about closer commercial relations between the trans-Mississippi states and the Latin republics of Central and South America. This work was con- menced at the last congress at Kan sas City. when Secretary Root was the principal speaker. and plans will be made 10 continue it on a greater scale Among the speakers on the topic will he the Hon. John Barrett, director of the Bureau of American Republics. The question is one of great Importance to the western and 25ulf >,aies. because of their contiguity and the conditions which make the no>tS of ,tle Latin republics the natu- "a avenue of Mississippi, gulf and Pacific coast trade.
 The subject of the improvement of western waterways will also come in for much attention. the principal sneaker on lhe program being H. F. Nowe.l 0i Washington, member of the inland waterways committee.
 An important issue affecting nearly all the states west of the Mississippi is that of the withdrawal of public lands from settlement under the law creating government forest reserves. In this discussion the policy of the ad- ministratiOn will be defended by Hon. Clifford Pinchot, chief of the bureau of forestry at Washington.
 The mining industry, very im- portant one in the West, will be con- sidered at length, and demand will be made that a government depart ment of mines and mining be estab- lished, coordinate with the depart mant Of agriculture, and with it's head a member Of the presidents cabinet.
 The live stock industry will not be neglected, one of the speakers on this topic being s. H., Gowan of Fort Worth, attorney for the American Ma tio.1al Live Stock association.
 Several Indian chiefs, representing the five civilized tribes, will speak for the aboriginal Americans now inhab- iting the western states and terri tories. Robert l.. Owen of this city, who will be one of Oklahoma's first United States senators, and who has Indian blood flowing through his veins, will discuss The Removal of Restric- tions from Indian Lands" :. .,
 The project for the formation of a new state, to be known as Lincoln, from potions of the states of Washing ton, Idaho, and Oregon, will be brought before the congress by N. w. Durham, editor of the Spokane, Wash, Spokes- man-Reyiew. ..
 Statehood for Arizona and New Mex ico will be favored by citizens of those territories, who will attempt to se- cure the official endorsement of the congress
 Other subjects announced for consid- eration include drainage of submerg- cd lands, irrigation of the arid dis tricts, good roads, the Panama canal, parcels post, improvement of the Mis- souri and Arkansas rivers, railroad regulation, national finance, develop ment Of the Pacific Northwest, Amer ican supr emacy on the Pacific ocean and western life insurance.
 Several cities are in the field for the