The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-18
SOUTHERN MEN PLAN BIG HOME W1IErect Million Dollar Build
 ing in Capital. PREPARE FOR BIG CONGRESS SsuiheE1 Commercial Body's Pro gress Astounds Nation. SpeeuIasiea is Rife ss te Next Pest- matter at Birmiashan-Present I.eunsest Tee strong to Be
 Ignored for aNatio.ai
 Republsean.-
PREPARE FOR BIG CONGRESS
pY ALrREp .. sTorER

BY ALFRED J. srOFER.
 Washington, Oct. 17.--tSpecial)-- The success of the project for the erec- ton of million dollar building in this city by the Southern Commercial Con- gress appears to be assured. There now seems to be no doubt about that. even if there ever were any serious misgivings on the part of those who are behind the undertaking.
 Some delay, however. will probably be occasioned on account of the plan of the structure. This is due to the building regulations here. and it will be necessary for the officers of the or ganization to go before Congress and secure. through the passage of a spe- ciai bill, the privilege of constructing q tall tower that Is to surmount the center of the building. According to the plans of the architect the distance from the ground to the top of the pro- posed tower will be 800 feet. Nothing like 1t Is to be seen here at present, and the proposed innovation therefore is somewhat staggering.
 John M Parker, of New Orleans, President of the Congress, has been in Washington all the week conferring with the capitalists and builders who are to push forward the work. MT. Parker, as is we'll known. is one of the forumost business men of the Crescent City. It Is his opinion that the build ing will be constructed on the lines shown in the drawings that have been made public. Handsome Autographs of the structure have been prepared and they are being generally circulated, and q number of the prominent news- papers have published cuts of the same.
 Parker Optimistic.
 Although he has never been inclined to boast, MT. Parker now feels abso- lutely certain that the enterprise is safely on its feet, and that the big building in due course of time is going to rear It's head proudly in the most favored section of the capital city.
 As previously noted in this corre- apondence, the ground on which 1t will stand cost little in excess of S500.000. The property was purchased from the congregation of the St Matthew Cath ollie church. For more than twenty years after moving their church to the residence portion of Washington the responsible heads of the church refused many tempting offers for the ground@' Theatrical syndfcates and hotel men tried repeatedly to get hold of 1t. and 1t was genuine surprise when the afnouncement was made that it had fallen into the hands of the Southern Commercial Congress.
 As a business proposition the men behind this enterprise say they are cer- tain the building will pay on the in- vestnnent, even though for arguments sake it should be admitted by any one that the primary object of calling into being the Southern Commercial Con gress should fail. The Washington company willing to undertake the financing and construction have looked carefully into this feature. and 1t Is known that they are entirely satisfied with the situation. That is why 1t now seems certain that the plans will be carried out.
 Prepare for Congress.
 Preparations for the meeting of the Congress here in the early part of De- cember are progressing satisfactorily. From the advices received by c. Gros- venor Dave. the General Director. the attendance will be large and thorough ly representative. Mir. Dave has trav- eled extensively In the South within the past month, and from the offices of the Congress here an extensive correspond ence is carried on. President John NJ. Parker likewise. Is in close touch with the situation. and all his information is to the effect that the coming gather ing will be an interesting one from many standpoints.
 For some unaccountable reason The Manufacturers' Record Of Baltimore lambasts right along the efforts that are being made to erect the Southern Commercial Congress building in Wash 1ngton and to form a permanent organ ixation that will put forth every effort to call the attention of the world to the great advantages of he South. This publication ridicules the whole scheme, and has done so practically from its in ception. However. MT. Hurst. the Pres ident of the Merchants and Manufac- turers' Association of Baltimore. and many other well known men of that organization, are lending valuable as- eistance, and Baltimore will undoubt- ehly send a strong delegation to the meeting of the Congress in December. This association Is undoubtedly the strongest one of It's kind In the Mary land city.
 Charles R. Crane, or Chicago. whose resignation as Minister to China was forced the other day on account of some intemperate utterances at public din- ner, is one of the political tribe spoken of as National RepuhlicanS' from the fact that they only vote that ticket m general elections. They give their support to the Democratic State and municipal tickets. President Taft coined the expression at the time he gave out the statement in connection with his selection of William l. Grubb, of Birmingham, to be the successor of Oscar R. Hundley.e erstwhile acting fudge of the Northern District of Ala bama.
 Many aNatiOnal RepubIicans." Since the expression was used by MT. Taft a number of men in the South who refused to support MT. Bryan and voted for MT. Taft last year, although they have remained in their old party ranks in State affairs, have been sounding around to find out what chance they have of landing in snug Federal posi- tfona There's known to be a yearning at Birmingham of this sort in connec- -T--------------------