The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-06-27

uldu WIN lldQ InC tOiti CIV IL ho
died, or failed, or abandoned the en-
terprise, then it was exactly where 1t
started, and even after it was CON-
pleted it was necessary that the gov
eminent should also guarantee to
maintain it. thereupon gladly and
cheerfully responded to the demand
of these people by introducing H. R.
1854, and as soon as 1t was intro
duced- the Business League of Gulf
pert met and passed the following
resolutions:
Whereas, There is now pending be-
fore Congress bill to provide for the
acceptance of the channel and anchor
age basin between Ship Island Har-
Dor and Gulfport, Mississippi, to re-
peal certain portions of the River and
Harbor Act OF March 9rd, 1899, re.
lating thereto; And,
Whereas, The said harbor and an
chorage basin has been dredged and
now accommodates vessels of twenty
one and twenty-five feet draught, or
more; And,
| Whereas, 1t is to the interest of COM
! merce that the said channel and an
chorage basin should be accepted and
maintained by the Government; there
fore,
Be It Resolved by the Business
League of Gulfport, Mississippi. anu
the citizens of Gulfport, in joint meet
ing assembled that our immediate
representatives in Congress, and the
Senators from the State of Mississippi
be and they are hereby earnestly re-
quested and urged to use every effort
f, in their power to secure the passage
OF said BILL which is House Resolu.
i ton No. 1854, and which was intro
duced by Representative j.. ]. Bow
ers on the 26th day of April, 1906.
Resolved Further, That we earnest
ly urge the Rivers and Harbors Com
mittee of the House of representatives
of the Congress of the United States
to favorably act upon said bill as
speedily as possible to the end that
the same may be enacted into law.
Resolved that a copy of these res
olutions be forwarded to the Senators
in the Congress of The United States
from the State OF Mississippi, and to
our immediate Representatives.
The Legislature of the State of Mis-
sissippi had also passed a memorial
to the same effect (see laws of Missis.
sippi 1906 page as we'll as a res
olution directing joint Committee OF
the House and Senate to meet the
Rivers and Harbors Committee oi
Congress at Gulfport and present {,
them a further memorial and resoll
ton urging them to accept the harbol
Immediately and said Committee il
accordance with such resolution ant
| headed by the Lieut. Governor ant
the Speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatives did meet the Rivers ant
Harbors Committee at Gulfport ant
presented those resolutions. From
this statement it will be seen. b,
everyone who is genuinely seekin.
the truth of the mater that the diff
Y guilty of the situation was not that tn,
public feared monopoly, not that i
was one man project in the sens
that it benefited one individual or cor
II / poration, but that the fear was tina
so long as the work rested in a con
tract depending upon the life, abilit,
and steadfastness of purpose of on
man, the question as to whether /
\ would be ultimately completed an
taken over by the government wa
involved in uncertainty, which coul
only be solved by the government
II accepting the work at once and re
II ieving the contractor of any furthe
ii responsibility or rights in the prem
II ises. Nowhere in any of these re
II quests, resolutions or memorials wa
H it ever suggested that any concessio
II or price should be demanded of M
II Jones as a condition of taking owe
the work. The cry was Have it a,
Il cepted and immediately" and it wa
II general. When these facts are born
in mind, every line that is quoted frol
H the testimony before the Committee o
i Rivers and Harbors about the nece
sity for government guarantee an
II of the necessity for the goyernmer
N taking hold of the harbor will |
II perfectly Ineligible.
II About this time prevailed upon II
y Committee on Rivers and Harbors
: make a visit to GuHport and to loo
u over the situation, and on their r
turn l secured date for a hearin
II at once advised the Business Leagl