The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-25
Will Mean Ultimately Full Water Route to the K
 Gulf x
ACTION WAS TAKEN TE
 IN WASHINGTON
Chamber of Commerce Committee Recently Sent Congressman Tay s Tor Complete Memorial on
 Importance of Subject

Congress has ordered comprehensive
 and complete survey of the aBirminghaln- Warrior canal water resources, looking towards the feasibility of connecting the Magic City with the Gulf of Mexico by direct waterway system. A telegram
 bearing this news was received yester-
 day afternoon by Robert Jenison, chair
 man of the special canal committee of the Chamber of Commerce, from Con gressman George w. Taylor. Ala bama member of the rivers and harbors com mittee of the House of Representatives
 The details of the matter have not as yet been placed in the' hands of the
 committee.
 This grant from Congress marks the accomplishment of the purpose of the special canal committee of the Cham Der of Commerce. appointed some time ago to confer with Congressman Taylor relative to securing a thorough technical investigation of the available water sup plies of Valley river and Village creek that the feasibility of building canal from Birmingham to the Warrior river might be definitely determined. s |, This committee, composed Of Robert Jemison, T. A. Weller and J. B. Gibson, began its efforts by consulting With Con- gressman Taylor of Mobile and James A. VanHoose of this city concerning the
 probability of obtaining a resurvey of the proposed waterway to Birmingham on November 23 when Mr. Taylor was ih Birmingham to attend the Underwood
 banquet.
 Memorial to Congress
 The result of this conference was the preparation of memorial to Congress setting forth the reasons entertained by the Chamber of Commerce in petition- ing for this survey. This document was sent to Mir. Taylor, as well as to the Alabama representatives in the House and Senate. Favorable replies were re- ceived from the Alabama delegation in
 Congress and it is a well known fact that Congressman Taylor is a hearty advocate of the plan. One or the most significant features of this important an nouncement sent from the rivers and harbors committee is that the special canal committee of the Chamber of Com merce was read last Friday evening at the annual session of that body wherein 1t was stated that the outlook for such an order from Congress was good and that the committee would continue to push the project during the coming ses- sion of Congress- Before the expiration of "A hours after the reading of this report the success of the memorial was flashed to Birmingham.
 Mir Jemison is especially pleased with the early consideration and hoped for decision handed down after the filing of the memorial and in speaking of the matter said last night:
 1T feel that the people of Alabama are to be congratulated that Congressman Taylor was able to get an order for an exhaustive and broad survey of the War rior canal at this time.
 This means that waterway from Bir- mingham to the sea by way of the War rior is practically assured, as the pro- motors of this project feel that such an investigation as is authorized by Con gress will make known the possible wa- ter resources of this district that will insure the construction of the hoped for 1 canal.'
 Set Forth the Reasons The memorial forwarded to the rivers and harbors committee by the l Chamber of Commerce committee which gained the re-survey for the Birming-
 ham canal. reads as follows;
 | ITO the Hon. G. w. Taylor. House or | Representatives. Washington. D. C.; "Dspr Sir-In accordance with your l suggestion and request made to the undersigned as committee from the l Chamber of Commerce of Birmingham, Ala. at our conference held on the 23d of November. last. at the Hiilman
 hotel In this city for the improvement of existing waterways to this city, we herewith beg to present through you to the rivers and harbors committee or the House of Representatives the follow ing requests and reasons:
 "The Chamber of Commerce of Bfr- mingham, representing all classes and conditions of mercantile and manufac- turing interests, through us, its select ed committee, earnestly request that the war department cause to be made just as soon as possible a full and com prehensive investigation or survey Of Valley river, from the mouth of said
 river in Jefferson county, where 1t flows into the Warrior, on up to or near Bessemer. and from Bessemer on
 up to Birmingham, utilizing from Bes- semer to Birmingham the waters of l Village creek and of other and all
 available and practicable sources of wa
 ter supplies which could he reasonably and practically utilized in said improve ment- by existing channels or held
 canals and impounding by dams. "The reasons which induces this dis
 trict through it's Chamber of Commerce
 to ask for this thorough investigation
 as to the feasibility and practicability
 of improving the suggested waterway are based
 "1. Upon the we'll known facts that | this district is one of the greatest coal
 and iron producing centers of the world 1 "2 The also well established and generally admitted fact that the rail
 roads are not able and should not be
 expected to properly care for the slow
 and heavy tonnage of commerce and
 manufacture.
 "3 The completion of the Panama canal will open up tremendous possi hilities for the outlet of Alabama coal, iron and other products, for delivery not only at All gulf ports, but also
 to many other ports and markets on 1 the Pacific coast
 Tn regard to this latter, former Sem ator John T. Morgan was accustomed
 to speak of the improvement of the | Warrior river and this proposed wa
 terway to Birmingham, in view of the l great national importance of both as | the upper arm of the great Isthmian
 canal This view of Senator Morgan ] is profoundly shared in and approved 1 by everyone who has studied the ques-
 ton of water transportation out of
 the Birmingham district to tidewater
 on the Gulf of Mexico.
 Survey by Ripley
 4. Your committee deems it advis- 1 a ble to refer to the fact that survey was made on the order of the war de-
 partment by MT. Joseph Ripley in 1898, and set forth in House document No. sS.
 "Although MT. Ripley at that date
 approved of and recommended the i'm provement of these waterways, still the Chamber of Commerce is deeply inn | ,,rasSad and epcoura qed in making this