The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-11-14

To WATERWAY
CONVENTION
PENSACOLA WILL HAVE NOTABLE
REPRESENTATION AT MEET,
THE MOST OF THEM TO BE AT
OPENING OF MEETING.

At the annual convention of the
Mississippi to Atlantic Inland Water
way association in Jacksonville to-
morrow, Tuesday and Wednesday, the
Chamber of Commerce will be repre-
scented by Vice-president B. S. Will
liams, Secretary Waterman, Ex-presi-
dents Jennings and YOnge, and Hon.
w. A. BlOunt.
Mr. Yonge left for Jacksonville last
night, Messrs. Bl0unt and Waterman
will leave today, and Messrs. Williams
and Jennings will leave tomorrow.
Mr. Stillman, pretty well worn out by
his work as president of the Tri-Coun-
ty fair, is suffering from a severe cold,
but he hopes to get to Jacksonville.
Judge Reeves will be one of the
delegates from the city of Pensacola,
as Will also Police Captain Wilde, a
gubernatOrial appointment from Pen
sacola.
Want Next Convention.
The Pensacola delegation will ask
for the convention of 1910. The first
meeting of the association was called
for Pensacola in May of last year but
was transferred to Mobile on account
of conditions here due to the street
car strike, and the first annual con-
vention was held last November in Co
lumbus, Ga, when the fight between
Jacksonville and New Orleans was
lively for the convention of this year.
Mr.. Waterman cast the Pensacola
vote said Pensacola would be in the
race this year, and the Pensacola dele
gates Will spar emo effort to have the
next meeting held here.
The association advocates the build
ing of such canals as would give con
tinuous inland water communication
from Mobile to and across the Florida
peninsula by either ship canal or
barge canal, as federal engineers and
congress together might decide.
What it Means.
The association is not committed to
any particular route for any part Of
the project, refuses to. endorse any
particular local project, even though it
might be part of the general project,
but encourages all localities in work
ing for any local project that might
be utilized as part of the general
project. For instance, it encourages
Mobile and Pensacola to work for the
two canals that would connect Pen
sacola and Mobile bays, and encouT-
ages the Alphabetical section to work
for the improvement of the Chatta-
Observation-Disclosures rivers, but Pen
sacOlar and Apalachicola have twice
joined forces, at Mobile and Columbus,
to prevent the convention from en-
dorsing these particular local projects
The attitude of the association to-
ward local projects that would be
parts OF. the whole project is this: no
suspicion OF favOTitism for any section
can be permitted to deter other sec
tons from working for the whole
project, but any progress made by
any enc section is that much gained
for the whole progress.
Results TO Date.
Few, even among the most optimis-
tic members, thought that any definite
progress could be accomplished inside
of two years, yet in less than a year
from the organization Of the assOcia-
tion at Mobile, congress appropriated
funds for a preliminary survey from
Mobile TO the Atlantic ocean, and the
survey has been completed, several
routes being surveyed. so that the
congress can have all the information
it might need.
Pensacola has a fairly strong men,
bership in the association, and has
been one of the strong points both
financially and in moral support, and
will make strong bid for the next
convention
IF we get the next convention, -
said MIR. Waterman yesterday, "a
strong local committee will at once
start raising mOney-not to entertain
the convention. but to work it up. The