The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-11-29
OSCAR STRAUS
WILL PRESIDE
Will Be Chairman of First
Session of Southern Com
mercial Congress.
Special to Tt. Journal.

Washington, d. c., Nov. 2S.-Secre-
tary Oscar S. Straus, of the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor, has an
inounced that he will preside over the
first session of the Southern CONNER
cial Congress in the New Willard au-
ditorium, in Washington, Dec. 9TH.
There is peculiar fitness in this an
nouncement as Mr.. Strauss is d Geor-
gian by birth. He will be supported
on the platform by the senators of the
southern states and by many ambas-
sailors and ministers. The subjects to
be treated in the first session are
Southern Health Conditions" and the
Influence of the Panama Canal"
The first of these two subjects is in
ternational in importance because in
foreign countries there is much mis-
apprehension regarding the south as
a safe place of residence for foreign
emigrants.
The presiding officers of the other
sessions of the Southern Commercial
Congress will be the heads of the lead
ing commercial organizations in New
iOrleans, St. Louis, Richmond, Atlanta
and Jacksonville.
The program of the Southern Com
mercial Congress may be correctly
spoken of as unique. Every speech
|
possessions or possibilities and the in
vitation to speak has been sent only
i 10 the man whose word on the subject
assigned him would carry unquestion-
able weight. Not a single speaker APP
pears on the program selected for
policy'S sake.
! Southern health conditions. climate
and temperature will be treated by
Surgeon General Walter Wyman of
the United States Marine Hospital
Service, as his utterances will be
above all suspicion of special pleading
and beyond all successful controver-
! sion.
The great subject Of the Panama
canal and it's influence on the CONNER
cial development OF the nation will be
spoken to by Hon. Luke Z. Wright,
secretary of war. Secretary Wright
has taken this subject at the direct re-
quest of President Roosevelt and Will
represent the administration in the
great program. Secretary Wright is
of Memphis and has for nine years
been national figure and in complete
touch with the great purposes underly-
ing the completion of the Panama ca
nal.
Ports of the South and foreign trade
has been accepted as the topic of his
speech by the Hon. NJ. J. Sanders. OF
New Orleans, formerly president of
the Progressive Union of that city and
familiar with port possibilities from
Norfolk, Va. to Galveston, Texas.
Waterways of the south will be de-
scribed and interpreted by the Hon.
John A. Fox, of Arkansas, field seere-
tary of the National Rivers and Har
bors congress; and constant traveller
over the southern states connected |
with the organization work of that con-
gress.
The mooted question of southern |
railroads and their needs instead of |
being assigned to any man directly !
connected with a railroad, has been !
given as the subject of his speech to |
John F. Wallace, of New York, form |
erly general manager of the Illinois |
Central Railroad and subsequently |
chief engineer of the Isthmian Canal |
Commission. Possibly no other man !
in the United States can speak with |
greater authority on railroad ques- |
tons. Mr. Wallace is past president |
of the American Railway Engineering |
and Maintenance of Way Association t
and past president of the Western So |
ciety of Civil Engineers.
The immense subject of water pow
eTs of the south will be taken by
Frank S. Washburn, of Nashville, |
Tenn, whose hydraulic engineering
skill appears in the water supply of
New York. Boston, San Francisco and
various places in the tropics. Mr.
Washburn is president of the Ameri-
can Cyanamid Co. of Niagara Falls, and
of the Muscle Shoales Hydro-Electric
Co, on the Tennessee river. He is
with every important water
power possibility on both sides of the
range.
The great utterance regarding the
water power possessions of the south
ern states will be followed by a speech !
from the Honorable Clifford PinchOt,
chief forester OF the United States, i
and chairman of the National Conser
vation Commission. Mr.. Pinchot's
subject is The Commercial Meaning
of the Appalachian Range"
The coal resources of the southern
states and the relation of their C:cvel-
opment to commercial growth will be
described by /. c. Glenn, professor of
geology, Vanderbilt University. who
has done more detailed geological
work in the Appalachian and interior
coal fields than any other man in the
south.
The Interpretation of iron resources
of the south falls to E. c. Eckel, form
erly iron expert of the geological sur
vey. Mr. Eckel is familiar with the |
iron resources of the whole country
The important subject of general
mineral wealth of the south will be -.
treated by DR.. c. W. Hayes of the !
United States geological survey. Mr..
Hayes is peculiarly well acquainted {
with the southern states. having been
assigned to work there for fifteen
years, from 1887 to 1902. Mr.. Hayes
during these years prepared geological
maps of $4,000 square miles IN a.dI- ,
ton to special studies. q,
The building materials of the south, !
cement, marble, clays, and granite, will !
be described by VIM J. Oliver, or
Knoxville, Tenn, who may be safely :
spoken of as the leading contractor in :
he south Mr.. Oliver will be remem-
oered as one of the contractors to bid ,
Upon the Panama Canal, at which :
lime he organized a five million cor
0oration in ten days. Mr.. oliver has ]
many interest throughout the south. ]
The timber resources of the south i