The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-10-03
TO LEARN THEIR RICHES.
A Thousand Bushes Men from the South
to Attend Meeting.

word that at least thousand of the
leading business men of the South will
he present in Washington when the com.
mission holds its first full meeting here
early in December. This information
comes in letter from g. Grosvenor
Dawes, secretary Of the Montgomery,
Ala, Commercial club, who tells OF a
meeting OF the representatives OF numer-
Gus business associations in the South
ern states, held in Atlanta. These men
formed a working organization and, af
ter receiving assurances OF support from
commercial bodies all through the South
issued call for Southern Commercial
Congress.
The time and place were set so that
the members can be in Washington dur
ing the first meeting of the Conservation
Commission on December l, the confer
ence between the commission and the
governors OF the states or their repre-.
sentatives which follows, on December 8,
and the melting Of the National Rivers
and Harbors Congress, which will be
held here during that time, in the pro
ceedings of all of which the men who
will compose the Southern Commercial
Congress are intensely interested from
business standpoint. The chief purpose
OF the Southerners in holding their big
meeting is, in the words OF one of the
onginstors, 1.-THE provoking of fuller
understanding by the people OF the
South of the gifts that nature has placed
under their control But, without dis
counting the vital importance OF promot
ing the business interests OF their sec
ton of the country. the promoters of
this congress in Washington say they
hope that il will have an even deeper
significance and bring about closer
union betwepn the North and the South.
t0f course the congress has practical and
commercial aspects" says one OF these
men, but there lies in the minds OF tae
originators an ethical purpose looking
towards a fuller understanding and I'M
ion between those who have for genera.
ton suffered from Misunderstanding
and seeming separation OF interests"
Mr., Dawes in his letter suggests that
the attainment OF fuller understanding
between the South and other parts of
the country would have its effect in bet
tering the business conditions in the
South also. He writes:
The Southern Commercial Congress is
also intended as a means Of combating
hindering prejudices that evist against
the South in botn Northern and Eastern
states. We have felt that such preiu-
dices are most easily removed by per-
sonal contact; and we shall therefore
work to have present ON December and
Is thousand or 1900 leading business
men of the South, who will later stay
to participate in the deliberations of the
National Rivers and Harhors Congress,
and also be present in Washington to
receive inspiration from the reports
made to the National Conservation Com.
mission"
Beyond all this we feel that the pres
ence Of our solid business men in meet
ings made up largely Of solid business
men of the North and East win act as a
guarantee and pledge Of business mems
participation in further political affairs
of the South and thus guarantee safety
to investors"
Many of the men who are most active
in organizing this Southern Commercial
Congress have for a long time been
preaching that the South should not only
develop its agriculture TO higher degree
of efficiency. but that it is time for the
men of the country to take more ener-
getic measures to expand their manu-
believe that the attendance OF large
number of the most enterprising men of
the Southern states at the conference be.
tween the National Conservation Com !
mission and the state governors or their
representatives will lead to a fuller real !
ization OF the immense natural resources
Of the South.
In this connection they cite recent |
report by the geological survey which |
stated that there is a minimum of about |
100000 indicated horsepower developed |
BY the rivers rising in the southern
Appalachian mountains, half of which |
at tine very least, could be utilized for |
power So far hardly enough has been |
developed to make an appreciable show |
ing compared With the enormous posi- |
bilities. Full development of storage ia |
ciities in these river basins would in. |
crease the horsepower from 8 to 80
times, according to the experts. But TAX
ing the minimum of 100000 horsepow- !
er, its rental at $50 per horsepower per
wear would amount to an annual return |
of S2S,0O0000. Water power is mucn /
cheaper than fuel power and will become |
more and more so as the available sup /
ply of fuel is depleted. This means that /
the demand for water power will in
crease These Southern business men /
foresee a graf manufacturing future for
their section and are determined to instill /
thir ideas into the minds Of others. /
They point out also that the usefulness
of these rivers can be increased not only |
for manufacturing, but for trsnsports-
ton The improvement OF the lumber
business and Of the allied industry Of
has also received much at
tention from them, In some states, they
saw there are very rich mineral deposits
which t-srrh4 hn rvnrkqH wifi crrpat nrnf3f |