The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-15

 WATERWAYS MT. Vandiver Explains Plans of National Body WILL ASK $5O,OOO,OOo A YEAR Biz Party Win Tour Alabama
 Cities.
 wiH Be Headed sy seh. A. Tez, and win ss Aeeomsasisa by Mr.
 vs.asyer snd csiosei

Congress, announced yesterday that
 beginning March 1. there will be the
 greatest agitation for public interest
 in the improvement of our watsrways
 that the State has ever Known. | It is at least the plan of Mir Vandi- yer and other officers of the congress
 Tn Alabama to make the campaign eclipse all previous efforts in enthusi-
 asm and substantial results.
 | When Mir. Vandiver returned to his desk yesterday he found awaiting him
 communication from John A. Fox,
 Field Director of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress, advising him
 that he expects to visit Alabama in the first part of March next. reaching Bsr- mingham about March 1, and that from | that date he will 70 to the most promi. | nent cities in the State, especially
 those on the water front, in his cam.
 paign, which has been carried into
 several other States
 In response to the request of Mir. Fox,
 Mr. Vandiver has communicated with l Col. T. O. Bush Of. Birmingham, with reference to arranging an itinerary for
 MT. Fox and his party for about twelve or thirteen days. beginning March . | Colonel Bush is the Alabama menber
 of the Board of Directors of the Gulf
 seaboard Department of the Congress.
 Tn 2 few days, at the very earliest |
 yesterday, he expected to announce thu
 fixed itinerary of Mfr. Fox and his fei- | low speakers.
 You may say positively that we will visit Birmingham, and will go thence | to Huntsville, the Decaturs. Sheffieid. Tuscaloosa, Selma, Montgomery. and Mobile" said Mir. vandiver. "It is nay present intention to accompany Mfr Fox on his tour of the State. and I
 understand that Colonel Bush will also
 De member of the party. am very sorry that on the advice of my phy-
 aician cannot take part .n the public
 programs at the places we will visit. I
 hope to be able to be present on every occasion at which Mir. Fox will preside, be held in Montgomery and in Birm-
 inghann.
 "Accordfng to our present plans
 and am practically sure they win not be changed as to the places mentioned we intend to make our start ,n Birm- ihghHfn. That it the point which Mir.
 Fox will make. his destination when
 hs finishes his campaign in the state
 Mfr. Fox advises me that he has met
 with remarkable success in Georgia,
 whore he is now making speeches in
 the interest of the purposes for which
 the Congress was organized. He has
 told me that he has raised several thousand dollars in our sister State with which to carry on the agitation
 for Improvement of our waterways throughout the country. That, you understand. is what the organization
 was started to arouse the interest of the public to such an extent in behalf of improving our inland streams and deepening our hArbors that the Con- Eress of the United States cannot re- Afat fhA AapnauA 1ae hfsnar arnR0nrsa. tions.
 we do not propose to stop until Congress in Washington see it to fix their annual appropriation on q level of at least eB0.000.000. But to bring about this result. there is but one way, and that is to fire the enthusiasm of the public spirited citizens through out the United States as 1t has never been fired before. Tn view of this purpose of the Congress and consider ing what it has done and is doing now do not hesitate to place the organiza- ton second only to our National Con- gress. As the Rivers and Harbors Con- kress is working for policy and not any single project, 1t behooves our State to contribute our share of the support to the grand movement and fin the end we will get our share of the benefits"
 Mir. vandiver. 1t will be recalled. was elected as Vice President of the Ma tional Rivers and Harbors Congress at their annual session in Washington last December, {, s and 6. Ever since that time he has manifested q good deal of interest in the Alabama end of the work. and with the cooperation of his fellow citizens and the press of Ala bama. he does not propose to allow this State to fall behind in the procession of contributing 10 the financial sup port of that body. Georgia and Mis- slssippi have both been visited by Mir. Fox. the Field Director and the;r re- sponse to the efforts of the organizer have been very generous. For in. stance. in the city of Augusta. Ga.. at single meeting, cash contribution of Sl,000 was raised at the close of the program. Several hundred dollars were raised at each of the numerous other places visited by Mir. Fox and his Georgia party.
 To understand the real scope of the Rivers and Harbors Congress. 1t should be remembered that if embraces the Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade of nearly all cities located on waterways and coasts ih the United States. which are desirous of promoting better navigation. It is expected that to wage tho campaign of education in these cities with the vigor contem- plated by the officers of the Congress. they will need at least s1OO,Ooo this year alone.
 The President of the Congress is Congressman Joseph E. Ransdell of Louisiana. While en route to New York Mir Vandiyer met and had brief | talk with Mr. Ransdell. who said there l is an unusual interest In tho work | now going on under the auspices of | that body and that the Congress had | undoub tedly reached that stage which it's permanency and a pow | erful influence in the future
 It Is with regret that Mir. Vandiver's | health will not permit of his accepting | an invitation he received from Presl- | dent Harvie Jordan of the Southern l Cotton Association. to take part in | the official program of that body which | meets in Dallas this year on Feb. is | and 20. Mir. Vandiver Is in distinct | accord with the aims and work of the | Southern Cotton Association. and es- | pecially the holding movement now on | among the members of that organiza- tlon. It is bis expressed opinion that | lf there is concerted action among the farmers for the next few months, spot | cotton will see q mark high CT by from | i 10 2 cents a pound than is now of- | fered He reports that in New York | the manufacturers are resorting to ev- | ery trick known to the ingenuity of | cotton bears to turn all hash and odds | and ends into products to supply the | demand for goodA This is to influence | me market for the bensot of the shoTt ]