The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-18
MOBILE EFAVORS
 THE T|DEWATER
 CANAL PROJECT Bessemer Also Pledges Sup port at Chamber of Com
 merce Meeting SENATOR JOHNSTON AND TAYLOR ENLIST Presence of the Mobile and Bessemer Delegations, Members of Con gress and Consul Polhamus
 Added Interest

Added Interest
 The cooperative efforts of Birmine- ham, Mobile and Bessemer were pledged Commerce, the Mobile Commercial club and the Bessemer Board of Trade. held yesterday afternoon at the Chamber of Commerce auditorium, with refer enee to the Birmingham Warrior canal and the deep channel at the port of Mobile.
 In view of the great importance of the enterprise the cities were also pledged the support of Representative G. ". Taylor of the First congressional district and Senator Joseph F. John ston, both of whom addressed the meet Ing in terms expressive of their wishes that the plan may materialze
 The meeting of the chamber was called to order propmtly at o'clock by President Richard w. Massey, who ask ed that the reading of the minutes be dispensed with in view of more weighty matters to come before the session.
 The first matter to occupy the at tention of the members of the chamber was the report of the committee for the location of new industries, which had mainly to do with the outline of the plans for the new industrial bureau which have recently been developed by the committee in collaboration with the representative of the various rail- roads of Birmingham.
 Following the report on the industrial committee was read, showing what con- ferences will be brought to this city in the near future and also reviewing those that have already been held The report of the advertising committee, which was called for, was withheld as the chamber at the next meeting.
 The meeting next heard the report of the canal committee, which recently made a trip over the proposed route along the banks of Valley creek to the Warrior river. In the absence of the
 
 Y. Anderson, the report was read by J. A VanHoose.
 Committee Report Favorably
 In substance the report of the canal committee was an explicit summary of the conditions as had been found, and an expression of the strong be- lief of the committee in the feasibility of the canalization of Valley creek to Birmin gham. The reliability of the scheme was especially emphasized by the committee in their report by eita- ton to the fact that there is bill be- fore Congress which provides for the raising of the dam at lock No. IT to height of 6S feet This, it was shown, would throw a navigable depth of water 13 miles up Valley creek.
 A subsequent report was submitted to the meeting by J. B. Gibson, C.. B.. Mccormack and J. H. Adams, three members of the canal committee who have been unable to make the inspect ing trips, yet wished to express their indorsement of the report of those members who had made the investiga- - tion Both reports were received by tne cIdHneI Nill iiiu1ii ch'hu9ie'f7iii'
 Representative Taylor Talks
 Representative c. W. Taylor of the First congressional district, member of the rivers and harbors committee. was then asked to address the meeting in regard to the proposed canal connect ing Birmingham to tide water Rep resentative Taylor had been invited to attend the meeting, especially in view of the canal proposition.
 At the outset of his address Con- gressman Taylor stated that though Q member of the rivers and harbors com .mittee he was perhaps less familiar with the canal project than any oth CT member present at the meeting. In the course of his speech, however, he surprised the members with his famll- ia rity of the subject. He had at hand a report of former survey which had been made of the route by the direc- tion of Congress and he read certain portions of this report which showed specifically that the building of the canal along the proposed Valley creek route would ultimately entail an ex- pense of $20,000000 and over.
 Offers Hearty Support
 Representative Taylor offered the To- cal members his every effort toward securing the canal, but he urged the to secure positive evidence of the prac- ticability of the scheme before laying E their petitions before Congress. He thought that canal of less than 50 foot width would be altogether made quate for the purposes of the district, and he advised that the chamber first of all ask for another survey, so as to ascertain to just what extent the canal is possible and practicable.
 He encouraged the promoters of the plan with his support in securing the appropriation necessary. but he also reminded them that they must be able to show evidence of the practcabil- ity of the project before expecting any consideration on the part of Congress During his talk he took occasion to nished the builders of the Panama canal and he expressed his belief that there were still enough men left in the state to carry through an enter prise of the nature of the Birmingham Warrior canal He assured the cham Der of his most earnest support in se- curing the canal to tidewater
 Senator Johnston Will Help
 Following the address of Representative Taylor, Senator Joseph r. Johnston made q few remarks, in which he also gave the members to understand that his eff forts could be counted on when the time came for asking for the appropriation from Congress.
 At this point Dr. J. F. Curry presented the meeting with resolutions adopted by the Bessemer board of trade, pedgins their interest in the building of the fapal and thair hoo rtv rO-ODprat lion In