The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-31
INLAND WATER WAYS
Coming Convention of Atlantic Deep-
 CT Waterways Association

Washington, Aug. 31-Governor Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey, who looms large in the public eye as presidential figure will be the stellar attraction at the fourth annual con- vention of the Atlantic Deeper Water ways Association which will be held in Richmond, Va, October IT to 2O
 Last year the associa ton held its annual convention at Providence, R. l., and the entertainment afforded the delegates was notable in character and on scale of magnificence such as Is rarely witnessed at conventions of this character. Richmond, however, with it's stainless record for hospital ity, purposes a series of entertainments for the delegates that it is hoped will at least rival the efforts of it's sister city to the north in the way of prodi- gal entertainment
 While Providence has it's clam bake, Richmond will have it's oyster roast and its terrapin. Tn addition to the toothsome delicacfes the Capital City of the Old Dominion and the great Sobjective of the Civil War. offers an endless variety of scenes. not only as- sociated with the last half of the nine teenth century, but connected with the early beginnings of the coun- trys history
 In addition to Governor Wilson a number of other executives of States a. terway movement will participate in the exercises of the convention. Gov error Mann of Virginia delivering the speech of welcome to the delegates. Among other governors expected are Austin l.. Brothers of Maryland John K. Tener of Pennsylvania; Arum J. Potnfer of Rhode Island; George Ab- ner Mead of Vermont: William W. Kitchin of North Carolina and possi- bly, several others
 There will also be a number of Uni- ted States Senators and Representa- tives present and participate in the deliberations of the convention and who are interested in this great pro- ject which means so much to the com merce of the nation.
 t Representative J. Hampton Moore of Philadelphia, president of the Atlantic Deeper Waterways association, one of the originators of the scheme for an inland passage from Maine to Florida and Tive wire in Congress, in an interview on the purposes of this great project said: "In the rivers and har-l bors act of March 3. 1909, Congress authorized a survey for continuous inland waterway along the Atlantic seaboard from New England to Key West and thence along the Gulf to the Mississippi river. That survey has since been. going on under the direc- tion of the United States Army en- gineers and ought to be reported upon when Congress convenes in regular session. Fd4MH
 The territory through which the pro- posed Atlantic inland waterway runs is inhabitated by approximately S0,- 100000 of people There is no section of the country so prolific in manufac- turing industries and interstate com mercel This vast business which be- gan when canals were the principal means of communication, was speedily absorbed by the railroads, with the result that today the best canals re- maining along the Atlantic coast are the Chesapeake & Delaware which unite the Delaware and Chesapeake bays and the Delaware and Raritan which connects New York with Phil adelphia and points south. Neither of these canals has been much improved since their construction three-quar- ters of a century ago. They are do- ing business but they are In no sense competitors of modern transportation Companies, and as leveler of rates they are practically useless. That they are capable of enormous service has been demonstrated time and time again through the efforts of the Atlantic Deeper Waterways association which revived in 1897 the agitation for re- lief. through waterways. of the con- gested freight conditions then pre- vafling At largely attended conven- tfons held first at Philadelphia, and then in regular annual order at Bal timore, Norfolk and Providence, reso lutions were adopted which leave moi room for doubt as to the value of and the necessity for inland waterway Improvements along the coast"