The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-10-06
Rival Candidates TO Grace
Same Banquet Table Tonight

CHICAGO. Oct. 6.-With William H.
Taft. William J. Bryan and WI Ting
Fang as it's guests OF honor and prin-
cipal speakers, the Lakes to the Gulf
Deep Waterway convention will begin
it's sessions in the Auditorium tomor-
row. Judge Taft is scheduled to speak
tomorrow morning, at the opening
session, and will meet Mr.. Bryan at the
Chicago Association of Commerce
Waterways dinner tomorrow evening.
Owing to the non-pOlitical nature OF
the gathering, both Mr.. Taft and Mr.
Bryan will confine their remarks to
waterways and commercial develop
ment. and campaign issues will be
carefully ignored.
There will be no question as to
which of the candidates will occupy
the seat at the right hand of the chair
man. 1t will be occupied by Mr.. Taft
at the express wish Of the democratic
nominee and his friends. Chairman
Mack declared that Mr.. Taft, as re-
cent member of the present admln1s-
tration. was clearly entitled to the
place of honor at the feast. The Ohio
an. therefore, will sit at the right hand
of President Hall. and the Nebraskan
at the left.
In addition to the rival candidates
for the presidency, many other fa-
NOUS men will gather at the banquet.
Particular interest attaches to the
speech to be- delivered by WI Ting
Fang. the Chinese minister. When he
was invited to deliver an address here
by Henry T. Rainey, the Illinois con-
gressmen, Mr.. WI, the human inter-
rogation point" inquired
Does river transportation make
better freight service?"
TT certainly does,'' replied Mr.. Rain
ey, and he re-enforced his statement
by quoting James j. Hill.
well. if that is generally recog-
nizer, why are not the waterways i'm
proved so that they will carry the
freight" asked Mr.. WI.
1--WE want you to come to the Chica-
go convention and ask that question"
said Mr.. Rainey "Of course the neces-
sity is obvious, but we want you to tell
the delegates how the situation inn
presses you.
Mr.. Wu has been studying the VIII Die
question of river transportation in the
United States from the time that
George Washington wrote to Thomas
Jefferson suggested inland canals.
down to the reports on the deep water
wav which have been made from time
to time by such distinguished eng1-
neers as Lyman E. Cooley, Isham
Randolph and John A. Ockerson, anu
will give his final answer to Mr.. Rain
ey at the convention. 1t is believed that
Mr.. WI will make very interesting
address and will say some Things
that will make Americans ashamed OF
themselves.
The primary object of the Water
,yavs congress is to interest the gov
ernment in a general plan for deepen
ing the channels of the Mississippi,
Missouri. Ohio and other rivers and
tbe construction of canals which VIII
give a direct water transportation line
from the Great Lakes to the Gulf or
Mexico. Much has already been ac-
complished by the congress toward
these projects and it is believed to De
only matter of few years until a
great chain of adequate waterways
will link the Mississippi valley.
According to census returns 21,0Oo,-
600 tons of freight were moved on rlv-
ers of the Mississippi valley in 1906
% OOO. 900 tons in 1889 and 100000
in 1880. The growth Of barge tramc
and it's application to the coal and