The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-19
WATERWAYS MEET
 WILL BEGIN TODAY Prominent Delegates Are AL
 ready Arriving In City THREE SESSIONS TO BE HELD Senator Bankhead Is III and Will Be
 Unable To Attend-General Dis cussion Will Be Feature of the Sessions.

At il o'clock this morning the Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida Waterways and Gulf Harbors Improvement conven-
 tion will convene in the Commercial club rooms with delegates in attendance rom all over the south. A number arrived in Birmingham last night and each tram reaching the city this morning will bring it's quota. Especially large delegations will be on hand from Mobile and Mont gomery.
 The convention will bring together Uni ted States sehators and congressman from the states included in the name of the convention, a large number of whom VIII address the meeting. The Birmingham Commercial club has worked hard to make the convention a success, and has had the assistance of the other commer- cial organizations throughout the state. John Craft. president of the Mobile Com mercial club; A. G. Forbes, president or the Alabama Commercial and lndustr al organization, and also president or the Montgomery Commercial club; Sterling A. Wood, president, and Joseph 5. Baop' secretary, of the Birmingham Commerciai club. and J. A. Van Hoose, chairman Of the general arrangements committee, have been indefatgable in their efforts in working up strong interest In the convention.
 Three Sessions Held. The meeting will include three sessions | morning. afternoon and night, and will be called to order by Sterling A. Wood, after which the organization of the con vention will take place. rms orgahizd- tion, it is expected, will result In the
 forming of waterways improvement as- sociation. After the committees are ap- pointed. W. c. Fitts will deliver an ad- dress on "Mobie and Waterways im- provement," after which the meeting VIII be adjourned until 2:3O.
 The afternoon session will include an address by John W. Maddox on Ihe Coosa Basin in Georgia" one by H. Aus till on Lower Mobile Bay and Outer Barr another by Rabbi Alfred G. Moses on "The Influence of Waterways Improve ment on Religion and Humanity, ana will conclude with an address by Dr. w.
 B. Phillips on statistics of Production of Pig Iron, Coal and Coke in Alabama from Earliest Times to the Close of Year 190G'
 N. F. Thompson will open the night ses- sion with an address on "The Tennessee Warrior Canal" and will be followed by Congressman William Richardson. Sena- tor Joseph Johnston. Congressman Oscar Underwood and John Craft, who will speak along general lines.
 General Discussion To Be Feature. General discussion of all the topics will be one of the strongest features, and is expected to result in much good. Sem ator John H. Bankhead, who was ex- pected to preside over the convention, and who has been a strong packer of the con- Vention, Is very i'll at his home in Fayette and will not be able to attend Senator Bankhead was the leading minority mem- ber of the House committee on rivers and harbors, and his efforts have resulted in a great deal of improvement already for southern waterways.
 The speakers will include men whose ideas vary somewhat as to just which is the best plan of improvement, and this meeting together with discussion of their different ideas, will undoubtedly result in the formation of the most practicable plan to be pursued.