The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-04-23
COMMERCIAL
CONGRESS LAUNCHES
BIG SCHEME
Central Headquarters to Be at Ma
tional Capital and Large Trust
Fund Will FumisO Means For
Carrying on Enterprise Exam.
pie for Other Sections,

nounced by G. Grosvenor Dave, man.
aging director of the Southern Com
mercial congress-, that, according to
present plans, the work of removing
the old St. Matthew's church building,
at the corner of Fifteenth and H streets
northwest. will be STARTED before the
end of May
AS soon thereafter" rs practicable he
foundations of the new building will
be laid, and the executive committee
of the congress anticipates laying the
corner stone of the building with ap-
propriate ceremonies on the first meet
ing of the congress in Washington, De-
cember 6 of this year.
Expect Large Results Quickly
This program carried out will result
in quick realization of a scheme so
large and important as that of the
Southern Commercial Congress, which
contemplates the publication to the
world Of the u of the Southern
states and their exploitation as a field
| of investment and industrial enterprise.
The plan in brief is. to establish the
headquarters of the congress in Wash
ington on neutral territory, and from
this headquarters to work consistently
for the upbuilding of the South, in
whole and in part, along lines which
commend themselves to the judgment
of the far-seeing men of affairs.
tt e plan is to supplement scattered
effort in small localities and get at the
problem in it's larger relations to the
nation and the commercial world, plac-
ing local development as a c~orollary,
natural and necessary, to the main
proposition. The plan in a sense is a
reversal of the ancient process of state
and nation building through tho slow
development of the town. the township
and the county.
This latter method of growth vas
suited to the earlier ages, but since the
world is smaller today than a state vas
once, since business and commercial
methods have been revolutionized, it
becomes necessary now to work from
the top downward if anything truly
great for the South is to be accom-
plished.
Its Purposes and Objects
The purposes and objects which the
Southern Commercial Congress is
formed are as follows:
To promote and develop the indus
trial commercial interests of the follow
ing sixteenn Southern states: Ala
bama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Miss
issippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ok
lahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
To collect and state authoritatively
the facts in regard to the resources and
conditions of said states.
To interpret the meaning of such
resources and conditions.
To create and foster an intellingent
public interest in the conditions exist
ing in these states and in the growth
and improvement of the same.
To collect and disseminate informa-
ton regarding the and condi-
lions of the South, the opportunities
and advantages offered in the South for
the safe and profitable investment of
capital, the attractions offerede in the
South to the homeseeker, artisan and
laborer, and the Importance to the ma
tional government of enacting proper
legislation looking to the conservation
of natural resources of the South, and
the improvement of it's rivers, harbors
and transportation facilities.
Will Invite Outside Capital
To present to outside capital true
and accurate statements regarding the