The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1909-08-20
WESTERN MEN
MEET IN DENVER
rRANsNissso6ippi CONGRESS De.
GINS ITS SESSION IN THE
GREAT AUDITORIUM.
ADDRESS BY1.F. WALSH
oUYllNGS some OF THE vAoI
PRoOLEMs IT HAS Met TO
CONSIDER.

~OW0uOG~
Denver.-Mmpered somewhat BY
the non-arrtval Of several delegates.
the Transmisstssippi Commercial Con-
gress got usdsr way At the Auditorium
Tuesday mosnins and carried out it's
programme for the nrst day without
hitch.
The customary speeches q welcome
from local and state officials with re-
spOnsos BY visiting notabies. occupied
the morning. session. and In the after
noon Thomas r. Walsh. president of
the congress. delivered . most states
manlike address On the needs of tbs
West and the opportunities which the
congress has to aid In its development.
Latin America. the United States con-
sular service. and the beet sugar in
dustry. were discussed by experts dur
ing the afternoon, and the evening was
gwen up to talks Oh insurance.
Former Governor James H. Peabody
was in the chair Tuesday afternoon At
$50 o'clock when the congress began
its Afternoon session. He paid hand
some tribute to Thomas r. Walsh.
prsoident OF the ososress. referring to
him ~ the man who was the friend OF
everyone who knew him. and then In
troduesd Mr.. Walsh to the congress -
the arst speaker Of the afternoon. Mr..
Welsh acknowledged with feeling the
kindly Introduction Of the chairman
and addsA . few words Of general In
troduction before commencing his ad-
dress proper.
Mr.. Walsh said in part:
Members Of the Twentieth Session
OF the Transmississippi Congress-IA-
dies and Gentlemen: II 10 with great
pleasure that I welcome you to this
beautiful city, the capital of our Cen
tennial State. With feeling Of pride.
properly tempered, l hope. with the
spirit Of meekness. l assume the du-
ties Of presiding officer of this au-
gust body OF truly representative cit
ixens.
This gathering Is dignified alike by
the distinguished citizenship Of its
members and the extent and import
ance OF the territory they represent,
which is approximately one-third OF
the population OF this country. one
fourth of its material wealth. two
thirds Of its superficial area, four
fifths Of its shore line. q large part
of its great rivers and practically all
Of its insular Observation-Disclosures
SO vast as to be almost inconceivable
and which can be grasped only by
comparisons. And it Is only by COM
parsons that one can obtain any in
telligent conception Of the now latent
possibilities of its resources.
THE truth in reference to every
subject discussed, no matter what
that subject may be, is the end to be
sought. Personal prejudices. partisan
politics and sectional rivalries should
alike be excluded.
"A glance at the program this sss-
sion will show you that, before your
labors here are concluded. you will
have considered almost all OF the
questions now demanding solution
which affect not only the Transmits
sissippi country but the whole United
States.
The transportation question, that
by rail, by inland waterways. upon the
ocean and by country roads will. of
course. be considered at length, but
the country roads have not received
the attention their importance de-
mands. either 1T the hands OF the ma
tional or the local governments. The
national government i4 annually ap-
propriating millions Of dollars IN the
improvement of rivers and harbors in
aid Of the commerce Of the country.
Sixty per cent. Of that commerce
originates on the farm. yet muddy
roads. steep grades and bad bridges
make the cost Of hauling the farm
products to the railway station, but .
few miles. exceed the cost of shipping
that produce to market hundreds of
miles away. Is 1t not. therefore, the
part of wisdom for the nation to ap-
propriate aid to the Improvement of
these highways that are the avenues
Of our rural wealth?
The reclamation OF arid lands 10 a
great work. The results are all good
and are as lasting as time. The irn-
gated farms Of Egypt have supported
families since the reign of the first
Pharaoh. They will continue to do 10
In the centuries to come. Reclamation
opens the way to . new era Of inter-
nal development and domestic expan.
sion. 1t Is equivalent 10 the addition
Of . new empire as important ~ that
drained by the Mississippi river and
its tributaries"
Automobile Race Accident.