The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-06-22
lContlnued from page three.)

tions, and 1t will. not go there. The
road from Hattiesburg to Natchez is
going to be built. They have their
charter, and the steel is bought, and
they are going south from Hatties-
burg, and are waiting to make up their
minds efinitely-awaiting your action
on this bill.
The Chairman-Why are they wait
ing on this bill?
Mr.. Hines-Because under the pres
ent conditions it is absolutely one
man proposition. Mr.. Jones may die
tomorrow.
The Chairman--It is not the doing of
the work by the government so much
as to make the control of the har Dor
general, and to give a chance to any
one who wants to go in there.
Mr. Hines-By the government doing
the work, it is put in the hands OF the
government.
The above seems to be sufficient to
show that the opinion of the committee
on Rivers and Harbors was in favor
of accepting the Gulfport harbor and
taking complete and full control, if the
Gulf and Ship Island Railroad would
give to the government a deed Of con-
veyance, so that any other railroads,
corporations, or individuals going in
there might be on equality with the
Gulf and Ship Island Railroad Com
pany But, while this is true, have
one other prominent witness that de-
sire to place upon the stand, and that
is the matchless leader of the Demo-
cratic forces in the House of Repre-
sentatives, our own John Sharp Will
liams, who said before this committee,
at the same meeting, along with other
things:
1.-The chief immediate good to be
done is ahis: AT present the stability
of business in Gulfport is depending
upon the life tenure of one man. AS
| far as this harbor work is concerned
and as far as its connection with the
property of the port and the property
of the upper country that feeds the
port is concerned, that is true, and thai
is a very unhealthy condition, MOI
alone for Gulfport, but for all the
towns and places along the line of the
Gulf and Ship Island Railroad Com
psny."
This is good testimony, coming from
a good man, and-taken in connection
with the questions propounded by the
several members of the Committee OF
Rivers and Harbors, to Mr.. Bowers
Mr.. Neville, and Mr.. Hines, show
to my mind conclusively, that had
been possible for this committee t
have received from the Gulf and Shi
Island Railroad, deed of Conveyance
for rights of way for all corporation
and individuals that might desire t
, frantage by six miles out, as GRANTEE
by section II of the charter of tn
Gulf and Ship Island Railroad, abov
set out, that the committee would hav
at once recommended the government
taking complete control of this harbo
and appropriating sufficient funds t
have made it permanent and lastin
port, as the committee advised MI
/ Bowers and Mr.. Neville that when tn,
government took charge of the harbo
that 1t proposed to make it lasting
If Mr.. Bowers, at that time, had had a
much interest in the welfare of tn
Sixth Congressional District, or tn
; entire State of Mississippi, as the con
mittee seems to have had, and as
lid in the welfare of the Gulf an
Ship Island Railroad, he would hay
/ set about at once to induce Mr.. J.
, Jones, or the Gulf and Ship Islam
t Railroad to have made this deed {
: conveyance, as suggested by the con
: mittee, and in the event that the raj
road declined 10 do so, have intr
duced bill to nullify the grant mad
n by section II, of the charter of tt
a Gulf and Ship Island Railroad, alor
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