The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-08
TO PROMOTE
 COAST CANAL Many Delegates Gather
 in Mobile. THEY DISCUSS WATERWAYS Welcomed by Messrs. Graft and
 Mayor Lyons. Rnsiness Men of Alabama, Florida, Louisian sad GeorAia Are On
 The Program For
 Addresses.
THEY DISCUSS WATERWAYS

Mobile, May 7-The Gulf Coastal Canal Convention met at the Conner cial Club today at noon. There were delegates present representing all the cities along the line of the proposed canal as well as the territory to be ben efited by its construction.
 The convention was Jailed to order by Hon. John Craft, President, of the Commercial Club.
 This was followed by an address of welcome by Hon. P. J. Lyons. as Mayor of Mobile. He spoke of the honor to convention in the movement here, and assured the members that Mobile will do it's share in the NrLFK.
 Colonel E. L.. Russell was elected permanent chairman. and accepted the task in a short but eloquent address.
 Leland J. Henderson. of Apalachi- cola. wss elected secretary.
 The following vice-chairmen were nominated by the delegates from the several State represented and were unanimously elected.
 Alabama. George H. Hoyle. Battles.
 Florida--Phillip Yones Pensacola.
 Ceorgia---Charles A. Swift Columbus.
 Louisiana--Warren B. Reed. New or leans.
 Mississippi-B. H. Ellis. Pascagouia.
 Il1inois--Robert c. Randolph. Chi cago.
 The First Speaker.
 Leland J. Henderson of Apalachicolc. was Introduced ss tho first speaker on the program his subject being Water ways and the Purpose of the Canal" Mf. Henderson said in part:
 s.The Apalachicola, fla.. Board of Trade has been the prfme mover In the project to connect the Apalachi- cola and Mississippi Rivers by means of an inland waterway Apalachicola has been suffering because of lack of a freight rate which would allow her to compete with the New Orleans Mobile and Pensacola rail rates to her territory. which is the chattahooches. Flint. Chipola and Apalachicola Riv' or districts.
 Tn other words rail freight to Co., 1unbus, Bainbridge and Maconv>e Gf-. pothan, Ala. Marianna, FIsa taAd neighboring territory. is less than the water rate via ApaIachieola, which. of course should not be, and because of 1t, Apalachicola has sO s1r. in large degree. failed to become the dtstribut- ing point of her district for New Or leans rice and sugar and Alabama coal and tren.
 eAs an iilustratfcn. Alabama coal sells at retail for s6 in Columbus and Ss in Apalachicola.
 s-Thes New oFleanss rail rate to Co., ltnnbus is 30 cents; to Apalachicoie several cents higher. with water con-
 aIast year the soard of Trade be- gan to search fer relief from thesa conditions. Transportation companies and engineers were consulted and dele nafes were sent to the National Rivers and Harbors Congress Convention. Upon kheir return, among other mat ters they recommended the further deepening the Apalachicola harbor on which the government has alFeady ex- pended about one-half million dollars. And tfa construction of an inland wa terway connecting the Mississippi and Analachicola Rivers. Later. at the sug- geefion of Hon. Joseph P. Ransdeil, Presfdenr- of the National Rivers ana Harbors Congress, the continuation or the waterway to the Atlantic 10 eon- meet with Atlantic inland waterways advocated by the Atlantic Deeper Wa terwava Association, of which J. Hampton Moore, of PlIiladelpola' IS aAs a means of determining the teas- thststv of the gulf cosIal canal, Apa- Iaehicola consulted Pensacola, Mobne and New orleans. finding that a favor- able sentiment alread9 existed, The purposss of the convention held here toasv through the cooperation of the cities named. was outlined in an ad- dress by the Secretary of the Apaiach" icola Board of Trade. as follows;
 Purposes of Convention.
 aThe purposes of this convention IS 10 discuss the feasibility of an inland waterway between New Orleans and fhe Mississippi River, and Apalachicola and the Apalachicola river-and from thence. across the Peninsula of Florida to unite with an inland waterway from Maine to Florida, now being ad- vocated by the Atlantic Deeper Water ways Association, of which Congress- man J. Hampton Moore, of Phiadel- pllia, is president. Thus forming the connecting link in series of water ways. surrounding the eastern section of the United States, from New Or leans to the Lakes. by the Mississippi and Illinois rivers and the Chicago canal; from Chicago to the Atlantic, via the Great Lakes and Erie canal; from New York to the Gulf. via the Atlantic inland waterway and Flori~ da Peninsula canal, from Apalachicola to New Orleans by the inland water way under consideration.
 "An effort should be made by res oIuffon of this convention to get a bill through the present Congress author fzing a survey. Failing to do that, the work should be continued until the survey Is ordered. And if a uniform plan of improving the national water ways be adopted, let us do everything possible to have our waterway among the first constructed.
 "This convention should endorse the bill introduced by Hon. Joseph F. Ransdall of Louisiana, and request congress to create a new executive department to be known as the De partment of Transportation and Public Works" and under one department place all Federal matters relating in