The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-11
MUCH INTEREST IN WATERWAYS Most Successful Meeting.
 yer Held. % < THOUSAND DELEGATES ihe South is SplendidIy Represent
 cd at This Congress. It Is Consensus of opinion That This Convention is Eventually Going to Bring Forth substan-
 tial Results.
 
nY. ALFREn I. sTnFER.

Washington, Dec. IO.-( Especial. )- The present meeting of the National Rivers and Harbqrs Congress Is gen. orally pronounced by long odds to be the most successful and interesting gathering of the sort over held here.
 Think of 1t! Almost 5000. delegates are in attendance. They come from every section of the country. It is a nnagnificent-looking body of men.
 The best representative citizens are gathered here to respectfully inform the Congress of the United States that the commercial interests are in earn est in calling the attention of. the na- tional lawmakers to the fact that the time has come for a proper improve ment of the waterways Some of tn most successful railway magnates are expressing the opinion at these gath erings that the greater the water trans portatfon facilities. the better 1t will
 be for the railroads.
 So eminent an authority on this sub
 ject as James J. Hill insists that the railroads alone are not equal to the task ol handling the freight traffic of this great country. They must have help by the construction of canals and the deepening of the most important
 tributaries to the largest rivers. The South Is spIendidly represented at this Congress- And the delegates from Dixieiand are making an impression. Some of the strongest and most ener- taining addresses delivered during the convention have been by prominent
 men from that section.
 It seems odd that w. F. Vandiver of
 Montgomery is not here this time to
 lend his untiring energy to the pnove-
 ment in which he had taken for years
 leading part. Strange, indeed. does
 1t seem that Mf. Yandiver, instead of t@n ak1 hA hall lies cold in death at his home in the city he loved so dearly. Last year he delivered one of the most timely addresses of the convention. It is the consensns of opinion that the fifth convention Of the National
 Rivers and Hatbors convention E evehtuaIiy golrg to bring forth sub, around that somefhfng Isas got to he done by the United States Congress 1 that will show big results while most of the people of the present generation are on earth, and not postpone the work of properly improving th water. ways until nearly all Of the men and women now living have passed away Speaker Cannon's talk before tht convention was interesting decidedly but as usual, Uncle Joe'' was foxy and | did not squarely commit himself tc anything Tn this he was disappoint, | ing to his auditors. But nearly every ! one present hopes and believes that a way will be found to give thS l Speaker a hunch at the proper time. | The Senate was in executive sesstor about an hour today. Most of the time | was given to the consideration oi reaties. Legislative and political cir | cles were not startled by any news tt | the effect that Acting Judge HundleS | was confirmed.
 | Representative Richardson spoke fol | nearly an hour in the House today or | the compulsory arbitration bill
 1 Representative Hobson appears tS l be more enth usiastic on the four bat | tleships proposition than he was ever last session. and Is quite busy working up sentiment in favor of a big navy l This means another very lively hgh i, before the session ends.