The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-09
JOHN TEMPLE GRAVES
 DISCUSSES PROBLEMS
James J. Hill Sends a Letter to the Convention In Which He Says Rail roads Are Not Hostile to
 Waterways Scheme.

Chicago, October S.--AddresseS by Will liam J. Bryan and Clifford Pinchot the latter being chairman of the national con- servation commission, the reading of a letter from J J. Hill short addresses by delegates, and big reception at the Coliseum tonight were the features of the second day of the convention of the Lakes to- the-Gulf Deep Waterways asso- citation.
 Mr. Bryan, who spoke earnestly in favor of deep waterways, not only from the lakes to the gulf, but in all other parts of the country where increased transpor tation facilities were needed, was as en thusiastically received as was w. H. Taft when he opened the convention yester- day.
 Resolutions adopted commented upon the exceptionally strong arguments of MT. Hill and MT. Pnchot. stockholders meeting of the Northern Pacific railroad kept MT. Hill from attending the conven- ton, and his letter was read by Con- grcssman Ralney of Illinois
 At the conclusion of MT. Pinohots speech a committee of six was appointed to cooperate with the chairman of the national conservation commission. Short speeches by delegates followed.
 Congressman William Lorimer of Illi- nois traced the development of waterways in Illinois, and congratulated the conven- ton on the large number of states repre- scented at the meeting.
 Speech by Graves.
 Tonight at the reception at the Coliseum John Temple Graves. vice presidential candidate of the independence party, made the principal address. He said:
 The problem of transportation has be- come the chief commercial concern of this republic for the last five years. The sober thought of economists has reached the conclusion of water transportation. The vast railroad problem can best be set tied by the development. of our inland waterways. The nations which are our chief competitors have realized this propo- sition and are moving with magnificent energy and liberality to execution France, no larger than Texas, has quadrupled her internal waterways at an expense of $750, 50,000,O00. Germany has 10000 miles of inland waterways, and the Ger man policy seems to be to make a high way of every stream that has water enough to fill canal One-fftieth of a cent per mile marks the pre-eminence of
  vantage, due to her inland waterways, is pushing England and other nations to the last limit for successful competition China has lso wonderful a. system of canals that almost every town can ship by water to the sea.
 European Waterways.
 Tn Belgium and Holland the ocean is brought to every city. and, small as they are, Belgium and. Holland are world powers in commerce and in manufactures A ton of raw material comes to them thousand miles for dollar. The little British isle, with all their vast stretch of sea coast, has 4000 miles of canals.
 If the great waterways could do no more than the 'Soo' canal it would pay for itself every year. even at a cost of $200,- GOO, GOO. At one stroke of constructive state craft and engineering the lakes-to-the- gulf canal would slice the continent through with new seaboard from Que bee to New Orleans. It would cut through the congested freight yards like sur geon's knife. It would break the freight gorge in it's most congested centers at Chicago and St. Louis, and tighten the load of tonnage from Duluth through Buffalo and Cleveland to New Orleans and Mobile The east and west commerce would make of it the busiest and richest canal in the world It would be the best
 
 made.
 Tt would take from Winnipeg its laur- els as the greatest wheat center of thes world, and bring it home to American soil. And it would bring the ocean. with all its marvellous advantages of transpor- tation to the western and southern farms"
 Bryan Arrives.
 When w. J. Bryan. speaker of the day .f fl.A ff<x, reached the Auditorium theatre the audi ence arose in body, cheering and way ing American flags. It was a repetition of the reception accorded w. H. Taft yes- terday.
 Previous to the arrival of the distin- guished Nebraskan, F. q. Renneck of Pe- ora entertained the audience with a dialect poem and d letter was read from J. J. Hill.
 d. C. Freeman of Virginia moved that Mir Hills paper be published and sent to every commercial organization in the country He declared amidst applause it was the strongest plea for deep waterS ways that the association could put forth. President Kavanaugh said that it would be made part of the record of the con vention. of which large number of copies would be printed.
 MT Bryan showed only a trace of hoarseness when he began speaking. His address was repeatedly interrupted by laughter or applause as he made some hu- morous touch or drove home an argument Mir Bryan said:
 ''I am glad to meet with those who as- semble here in the interest of development of the waterways of this country. l am in hearty sympathy with you. You can not give the people too good facilities for the transportation of their merchandise. If you tell me you want to improve the Mississippi, I tell you that is all right. l will help you improve it just as far as you please, and make the canal as wide as you please and al deep IS you please and when you get to improving the Mis- sssippi l will start out all alone if neces-