The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-22
HOUSTON ID DEEPEN HER SHIP CHANNEL
Fight With Federal Govern
 ment Is Won
EXPERIMENTAL FARMS
Texns Has Three And Fourth VIII Soon He Added-Automobile Reliability Run Is ContempIated-Bank
 CTS VIII Visit

Houston, Texas, January 21 .--(SpeciaD-- The federal governments hand was called
 in an election held here on January 10,
 over s1,25o.Oo0 out of the treasury. But this
 sum, which is the amount of an appro-
 priation made last February in the rivers
 and harbors bill, had string on it until
 that election was held In order to cut
 the string this city had to produce an
 equal sum- s1,25O,O0O, and this money is to
 be raised by the issuance of bonds, this
 latter proposition being ratified by vote
 of the taxpayers which stood 62s7 for and
 45S against A year ago this city offered
 to raise one-half of the $2. 5000 0O0 necessary
 to complete Houston's ship channel from
 it's present depth of IS feet to minimum
 depth of 9 feet if the government would
 appropriate one-half, let the contract and
 supervise the work. Congress accepted
 the challenge, made the appropriation
 and then sent Houston word to come across with its part of the bargain. The
 bonds will be issued at once and sold and the proceeds turned over to the govern
 ment and it is promised that within two years the work will be completed and the
 channel in readiness for ocean-going ves-
 sells long before the Panama canal is opened to traffic.
 This fight for deep water on the part of Houston has covered a period of 20 years and represents the slow moving, unsat- isfactory system which has marked the
 governments rivers and harbors work
 under the political patronage, methods of the past. The work represents an ex- penditure up to date of s3,210,465 and un- der the piece-meal method of letting the contracts for the dredging of single dis tricts at time, hundreds of thousands Of dollars additional would have been spent and completion long delayed. Ex- perts were employed and they announced that the work could be completed in two years time and at cost not to exceed S2, 100000 if the contract for the entire work was let at one time. Then 1t was that Houston determined to take her des- tiny into her own hands and offered 10 foot half the expense if the government would meet this city half way. It sounded like good business to the members of the
 rivers and harbors committee, which
 
 the result was as stated. The channel in it's present incomplete state accommo- dates an immense traffic, the total ton mage of last year amounting to 1,295, 690 tons and was valued at $37, 439, 120. With the speedy completion of the Panama canal assured all the rans-continental
 lines are seeking a gulf outlet and Hous- ton with her IT railway lines Is the cen ter of some shrewd railroad manipulation which promises to see several strong sys- 1 tems not yet represented here scurrying | in this direction when final work begins
 on the ship channel.
 One of the prettiest campaigns for l the capture of national convention which has been waged for some time | is now taking place within the Inter
 national Typographical union and Houston is closely following up the
 opening made in her favor last year
 at the Minneapolis convention. Other | contending cities are Norfolk, Va., Ottawa, Canada. and Oklahoma City, Okla. The printers will meet in San Francisco next August at which time
 the place for holding the 1912 con- vention will be chosen.
 There are in operation in Texa S | three experimental agricultural sta | tions and soon there will be fourth which will be operated in the Houston | district State Director Harrington having just concluded negotiations for | 156 acres of land south of this city. l donat ted by G. M. Henderson, who will erect substantial farm buildings upon | 1t.
 While, prima rily 1t Is a rice experi- | ment, experiments will be made in | all manner of agricultural products | peculiar to the coast country. One of the most important items aside from | the culture of rice will be experiments | with Para grass, said to be the finest pasture grass that can be grown in | this country. Experiments will also
 be made with alfalfa and other pasture grasses.
 Experiments will be made in citrus
 fruits. in truck and the like, to the end
 that the farmer may be urged to get
 away from the one-crop idea.
 Preparations are being rapidly com pleted for the first reliability run for
 automobiles -ich has ever been con | ducted in Texas under the sanction of | the American Automobile association.
 A beautiful silver loving cup has been presented as a trophy and twenty l dealers have already signified their
 entries. The run will start and ter
 minate in Houston and will be under 1 the direction of the A. A. A. through
 out. It will take place the latter part 1 of March. A pathfinding car will
 leave Houston within the next two weeks and log the route which will
 touch the following towns: Brennan,
 Giddings, Austin, San Antonio, Bee vile. Goddard, Nuero, Victoria, Edna, ElCampo and Richmond. It will f<- qnlre five days to cover the 600 miles
 included in the run.
 In special car, a party of twenty 1 Houston bankers will leave Houston
 on the 22d, for the purpose of making 0 social call upon patrons and cores
 pondents in the Gulf Coast country. | They will be five days on the road and 1 the special will make the run from this | city to Brownsville and adjacent ter | ritory. Texas is the only state in the Union that is so large her bankers re
 compelled to charter cars and arrange | for special trains in order to make | social calls. The rapid development of | the agricultural sections of South
 Texas, the opening of many new banks
 and opportunities for investment and profitable loans has made it necessary | that the Houston bankers come into closer communication with these dis tricts which are forced to look to this
 city as their financial center. Next
 month the district convention of the state association of the bankers will
 be held. the first district meeting in Houston February IT. A number of prominent Eastern bankers will make a tour of the state at the time com ing to houston for their start.
 -.s.---- Unanimous Consent Denied
 | Washington, January 21.-Senator Beveridge today asked unanimous con sent of the Senate for vote upon the