The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-24

rier river. This was the opinion of all
the members of the Alabama delega-
ton present and was the opinion Of
those of your committee present at
this conference
ION Tuesday morning we We're joined
by Mr.. Jemison. who had arrived from
New York and proceeded to the board
or engineers, where we were Joined by
Cpngressmen Underwood and Taylor.
The matter was thoroughly discussed
With Mr.. Underwood, who was not in
the first conference. and he agreed to
the position taken by the members
when the committee addressed the fol-
lowing communication to the board of
engineers, which was read by Mr.. Jem-
fson, and through the efforts of Con-
gressmen Taylor and Underwood the
board of engineers consented to the
request of the committee that the mat
ter be left In abeyance and further
consideration of the report of major
Flagler be deferred until some future
time:
TO the Board of Engineers on Rivers
and Harbors, Washington. d. c..
Dear Sirs-The undersigned COM
mittee from the Board of Trade of
Bessemer, Ala, and the Chamber of
Commerce of Birmingham Ala, ap-
pointed to appear before your commit
tee with reference to the report of
Mai. c. A. l.. Fla gler on canalization
of Valley river, came prepared to make
violet protests against said report. but
upon carefully reading the report we
find that the report is not an adverse
report. but one that simply recon-
mends delay awaiting the results to
be- found in the use of the Warrior
canal and the determining whether or
not the Warrior canal can take care
OF the business that naturally origin
Bessemer and Birmingham districts
1--WE respectfully urge that the i'm
portance of waterway for the busi-
ness originating in the Bessemer and
Birmingham districts has been set forth
in previous detailed statements to your
department in regard TO this Valley
river canal and we feel sure. that the
department of rivers and harbors of
the United States will give this district
the canalization of Valley river a bus
iness-like consideration at the proper
time, and We respectfully ask that the
matter be left open for the represen-
tatives of the Birmingham and Besse-
mer districts to appear before your
board and reopen this mater at some
future time when the good of the Bir-
mingham district and the country at
large shall demand some action.
This committee, having carefully
read Major F'laglers report. heartily
commends ii for its exhaustive dis
cussion, carefully prepared data and
business-like conclusions. Respectfully,
"'ROBERT JEMISON
ct. A. WELLER,
wv. p. GUNN.
Committee
1T is the opinion of your committee
that in the near future. when the work
nearly finished ON the Warrior river
has been completed and its capacity
shown to be sufficient to take care of
the business that will naturally come to
it from the river district and there
VIII be no difficulty in securing the
approval and recommendation of the
board of engineers for the completion
of the Valley river canal. certainly as
far as Bessemer, and possibly as far as
Birmingham
Your committee wishes to express
their deep appreciation of the cour-
teses shown them by Senators john
ston, Bankhead and Congressman Tay-
lor and Underwood, who gave to your
committee their time from other i'm
portant duties to assist us in the work
we were sent to perform and the
thanks of every citizen of Alabama
is due them for their enthusiasm and
real efforts made to bring about the
canalization of Valley river in order
that the Birmingham district may be
the only great coal and mineral district
in the United states so near the gulf
and the Panama canal with water
transportation. Respectfully submitted,
ROBERT JEMISON, SR.,
"T. A. WELLER,
~. p. GUNN, Committee"