Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-06
SOUTH INTERESTED IN CONSERVATION

Washington, Oct. 3.-The national
conservation commission has received
word that at least 1000 of the leading
business men of the south will be
present in Washington when the COM
mission holds its first full meeting
here early in December. This infor-
nation comes in letter from c. Gros-
venor Dawes, secretary of the Mont
gomery, Ala, Commercial club, who
tells of a meeting of the representa-
tives of numerous business associa-
lions in the southern states, held in
Atlanta. These men formed work
ing organization. and, after receiving
assurances of support from CONNER.
cial bodies all through the south is
sued call for a southern commercial
congress. The time and place were
set so that the members can be in
Washington during the first meeting
of the conservation commission on
Dec /, the conference between the
commission and the governors of the
states or their representatives which
follows, on Dec. s, and the meeting
of the National Rivers and Harbors
congress which will be held during
that time, in the proceedings of all of
which the men who will compose the
southern commercial congress are in
tensely interested from a business
standpoint. The chief purpose of the
| southerners in holding their big meet
| ing is, in the words of one of the orig
inators, ''the provoking of a fuller I'M
derstanding by the people of the south
of the gifts that nature has placed
| under their control" But, without
discounting the vital importance of
promoting the business interests of
| their section of the country. the pre-
| motors of this congress in Washing
ton say they hope that it will have
an even deeper significance and bring
| about closer union between the north
and the SOUTH "Of course the con-
gress has practical and commercial as
pects,' says one of these men, 'but
there lies in the minds of the origin
ators an ethical purpose looking to-
wards a fuller understanding and
union between those who have for 4
generation suffered from misunder-
standings and seeming separation of
j interests
| Better Understanding Helps.
NJ. Dawes in his letter suggests
| that the attainment of a fuller under
standing between the south and other
parts of the country would have its
effect in lettering business conditions
in the south also. He writes:
1.-The southern commercial congress
is also intended as a means of COM
batting hindering prejudices that exist
against the south in both northern and
eastern states. We have felt that such
prejudices are most easily removed by
personal contact, and we shall there
fore work to have present on Dec. Z
and s 1000 or 1900 leading business
men of the south who will later stay
to participate in the deliberations OF
the National Rivers and Harbors con
gress, and also be present in Washing
ton to receive inspiration from the
reports made to the national conser.
walton commission
Beyond all this we feel that the
presence of our solid business men in
meetings made up largely of solid
business men of the north and east
will act as a guarantee and pledge OF
business mems participation in fur.
Their political affairs of the south and
thus guarantee safety to investors
Many of the men who are most ac
tive in organizing this Southern Com
mercial congress have for a long time
been preaching that the south should
not develop its agriculture to a higher