Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-03
SOUTBERNERS GOING
VII De Represented al Couser.
 walton Commission Session.

Washington. Oct 3.-The Natioh- al Conservation commission has re- ceived word that at least thous- and of the leading business men of the south will be present in Washing ton when the commission holds It's first full meeting here early in De- cember. This information comes Tn d letter from G. Grosvenor Dawes, sec retary of the Montgomery, Ala, Com mercial club, who tells of meeting of the representatives of numerous business associations in the southern states, held in Atlanta. These men formed a working organization, and' after receiving assurances of support from commercial bodies all through the south issued a call for southern commercial congress. The time ana place were set so that the members can be in Washington during the first meeting of the conservation commis- sion on December 1, the conference between the commission and the gov ernors of the states or their repre- sentatives which follows, on Decem- Der 8. and the meeting of the nation al rivers and harbors congress which will be held here during that time, in the proceedings of all of which will be held here during that time, m the proceedings of all of which the men who will compose the southern commercial congress are intensely ln- terested from business standpoint. The chief purpose of the southern CTS in holding their big meeting is, in the words of one of the originators, t"the provoking of fuller under standing by the people of the south Of the gifts that nature has placed un- der their control" But, without dis counting the vital importance Of promoting the business interests of their section of the country, the pro- motors of this congress in Washing ton say they hope that it will have an even deeper significance and bring about a closed union between the north and the south. "Of course the congress has practical and commer- cial aspects" says one of these men. ''but there lies in the minds of the originators an ethical purpose look dng towards a fuller understanding and union between those who have for a generation suffered from mis- understanding and seeming sepa- ration of interests"
 MT Dawes in his letter suggests that the attainment of a fuller un- derstanding between the south and M ~,,.%e Nf fhn rat have it's effect in bettering business conditions in the south also. He writes:
 .''The Southern Commercial con- gress is also intended as a means of combating hindering prejudices that exist against the south in both north ern and eastern states. We have felt that such prejudices are most easily removed by personal contact, and we shall therefore work to have present on December and thous- and or fifteen hundred leading busi- ness men of the south who will later stay to participate in the delibera- tions of the National Rivers and Har- bors congress, and also be present in Washington to receive inspiration from the reports made to the Nation. al conservation commission.
 Beyond all this we feel that the presence of our solid business men in meetings made up largely of solid business mems participation in fur ther political affairs of the south and thus guarantee safety to investors. '
 Many of the men who are most act i've in organizing this Southern Com mercial congress have for long time been preaching that the south should not. only develop its agricul ture to higher degree of efficiency but that 1t is time for the men of that part of the country to take more en- ergetic measures to expand their manufacturing and business interests They believe that the attendance ot a large number of the most enterpris-