The Glenwood post., 1908-10-10
CONVENTION TO
BOOM THE WEST
TRANS MISSISSIPPI CONGRESS
OPENS ITS SESSION AT SAN
FRANCISCO.
DELEGATES WELCOMED
MESSAGES FROM PRESIDENT
ROOSEVELT AND THE PRESI-
DENTAL CANDIDATES.

San Francisco.-With a substantial
and representative delegation repre-
senting every state and territory west
of the Father of Waters. the Nine
teenth Annual Trans Mississippi Com
mercial Congress opened Tuesday in
this city.
California and the city of San Fran
cisco, joint hosts to the gathering, gave
the warmest of greetings through a
United States senator, congressman,
the governor of the state, the mayor
Of the city and the executive officers
of the two greatest commercial organ
izations on the Pacific coast.
National interest in the deliberations
of the congress was indicated by the
messages received from the President
of the United States, the presidential
nominees of the Republican and Demo
cratic parties. the Japanese ambassa-
dor and officials closely connected
with the administration.
In the address of welcome, as well
as in the responses by delegates from
other states, there was apparent
realization of the necessity for organ
lied action in behalf of the vast area
represented and belief that practical
results desired would be obtained be-
fore the day of adjournment through
the medium of harmonious delibera-
ton.
Among the messages received and
read at the opening of the congress
were the following:
From President Roosevelt: 81 great
ly regret that it is not in my power to
attend the Mississippi congress.
1t is one of the bodies which can do
most for the country and l am in hear
ty and warmest sympathy with its
purpose If it were possible for me
to attend any meeting this year, |
should certainly have been present at
yours. All that l can properly do as
President to further what your organ
ization is seeking to accomplish, will,
as a matter of course. be done.
Pray accept my best wishes for the
success of the congress, and convey to
those assembled my thanks for and ap-
probation of the work they are doing
for the national welfare"
From William j. Bryan: please
present my greetings to those in at
tendance at the congress and express
to them my regret that | cannot be with
them. l remember with grateful ap-
probation the honor which the con
gress has done me, and recall with
much pleasure the meetings l have
been able to attend"
From William H. Taft: Il beg to
send my greetings and good wishes to
the trans Mississippi Commercial con
gress and hope the meeting will be
productive of much good"
President ]. B. Case in his opening
address reviewed the subjects to come
before the congress for consideration
and made recommendations as to the
government policy. He praised the
governments wonderful reclamation
service, which has awakened the sleep
ing desert, saying:
THE work as whole rivals the Pan
anna canal in the labor and expense in
volved. The employment of 10000 men
ana lue expenditure VI Sl,lOV,vuu every
month are but incidents in the service
already the canals completed reach
total of 1875 miles-as far as from
San Francisco to Kansas City. Homes
have been made for 10000 families
where before was barren land"
President Case hoped that settle
ment of the unoccupied lands would
be encouraged by the government in
sensible ways. Transportation. he
said, is the one great problem that
overshadows all others. He added:
1--WE are particularly desirous that
navigation of the Missouri and lower
Arkansas rivers be improved until
there shall be a worthy advance to the
transportation of our western pro-
ducts. However, only comparatively
small portion of the transMississippi
country can be reached by navigable
streams. We must depend upon the
iron rail as a highway to market tor
the greater portion of our products"