The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-18
BIG CONGRESS OPENS
TR-ANS-MISSIsSIPPI COMMERCIAL
 MEETING BEGINS.
John Barrett, Director of Bureau of American Republics, Makes Prin- ciple Address-Many Dele
 gates Are Present.

Denver. Colo. Aug. 17--Coupled with the possibility of renewed hostilities between the Pinchot and Ballinger forces, the Trans Mississippi Commer- cial Congress. in session here. promises to become the battlefield of a fight for better rate regulations for the West.
 Assertion that the fight on railroad rates may break out at any time and become the predominant factor in the deliberations of the Congress, was made today by Colonel Ike Pryor. of San Antonio. Tex, Chairman of the Executive Committee. He declared that Galveston and Denver business men would bring in a resolution on re- vision of rail rates between New York and Denver.
 Thomas F. Walsh and John Barrett. Director of the American Republics, were the principal speakers of the af- ternoon session. MT. Walsh made a plea for opening vast tracts of Western lands to the Eastern farmer and the city bred man. He believed the an- swer to the crowded tenements lies in the irrigation of the arid West.
 Mir. Barrett spoke of Improvements in reclamation among the Latin Amer lean countries.
 Insurance was the topic at the eve- ming session and the principal ad- dresses were delivered by Samuel Bos-
 
 dent of the American Life Insurance Company.
 He said the people of the Middle West and the Trans-Mississippi States, paid in premiums to life insurance companies $171.0oo,ooo. He attacked the tax laws imposed in various States and particularly the tax on corpora tions imposed by Congress.
 Thomas B. Love, of Austin. Tex- spoke of the Robertson law of Texas
 In his address before the convention. John Barrett. director of the Bureau of American Republics said:
 "The approaching meeting of the Presidents of the United States and Mexico at Fl Paso the possible accept ance of invitations to be extended to the presidents of Panama and Cuba to meet the president of the United States at New Orleans. tTIe wide- spread growth of interest in the conA struction of the Panama canal and the increasing investments of United States capital In Latin-America give significant emphasis to the importance of devloping closer trade relations and of improving the facilities for the ex- change of commerce between the United States and her sister republics"
 "The legitimate and successful ex- ploitation of this vast field south of us depends upon four important con- dlLlOnSs LlrSt, tdrlII reg uldIlOHS WniCu permit of a reciprocal exchange of commodities: second. first class mail. passenger and express steamship ser vice to build up and care for this trade; third. the establishment of banks controlled by United States capi- tai as agencies of business, just AS necessary in foreign lands as in the United States; and fourth. familiarity and acquaintance with the habits and nf AnOartRan nann1RS and local conditions of their demand and supply.
 "The exact share of the United States in the exports and imports of Latin America for 1908 was $460.000.- 000-a sum many times larger than our trade with all the countries of Asia, and in excess of that with most of the countries of Europe-and yet 1t is only in the infancy of its possi- bilities Still we have a tendency to neglect Latin-America as an unimpor- tant market.
 An important corollary to this Latin American situation is the indis- putable necessity of the United States now preparing to get the benefit of the advantages that would be offered to 1t by the completion of the Panama canal in 1915. There can be no great CT folly than to spend several hun dreds of millions of dollars in the construction of this waterway and then ourselves at the time of its open ing unprepared with only a few steamships flying our flag, with in terior waterways and harbors unim proved and with general ignorance of the markets to be approached through the canal as will be the case if We do not give our attention and bend our energies to making the most along these lines during the next five years"