The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-11-28
Meeting WILL BE
OF INTEREST TO
: MISSISSIPPI
RIVERS AND HARsoRs CONGRESS
MEETS AT WASHINGTON
NEXT WEEK.
PRESIDENT WILSON WILL SPEAK
Will Afford Him First Opportunity to
Publicly Express Position as Re.
CARDS Improvement of Waterways-
Humphreys to Make Address.
PRESIDENT WILSON WILL SPEAK
(By F. D. Lander, Jr.)

Washington, Nov. 2S.-No conven- |
tion that has assembled in the Nation /
al Capital in recent years has been of |
more vital interest to the people of
Mississippi, as we'll as many other
Southern states, than the Tenth An
nual Rivers and Harbors Congress, to
be held at the New Willard hotel here
December 8, and 5.
Although the President of the Unit
ed States, cabinet officers and foreign
diplomats are numbered among the
speakers, an address by Representative
Benjamin G. Humphreys of Mississip-
pi, author of the Ransdell-Humphrey
bill for the improvement of the lower
Mississippi third highest man on the
important rivers and harbors commit
tee in the House of Representatives
and one of the most persistent fight
ers for the Improvement of the Ma
tion's waterways, is expected to be
one of the most important address of
the congress.
The Tenth Congress Is also notable
In that IL will afford the first oppor-
tunity for President Wilson to public
ly express his position as regards the
great question Of the development of
the country's rivers and harbors The
President will make the opening ad-
dress of the convention and is expect
ed to set forth his views fully and
clearly.
In urging a full attendance at the
congress- Senator Joseph E. Ransdell
of Louisiana, president of the con-
gress, calls attention to the fact that
"while the utterances of the President
are vitally important, every advocate
of improved waterways who can pos
sibly do so should be present to hear
him. There is no lack of important
questions that need his attention and
IL the tenth convention should be any
less notable for attendance and en-
thusiasm than the others that have
been held the President would be JUS
titled in concluding that the water
way movement is waning and that the
work of improving our rivers and
harbors could wait until other pressing
problems had been solved"
In addition to President Wilson, 9th
er notables who will address the con
gress are Mr.. D. de Cana, Ambassa
dor from Brazil, John D. Hazen, Min
lister of Marine and Fisheries Of Flori
da Speaker Clark of Arkansas; J
Hampton Moore OF Pennsylvania, Re
publican whip in the House and presi
dent of the Atlantic Deeper Water
ways Association; w. B. Thompson
Commissioner of Public Utilities fol
New Orleans; Secretary of War Lind
ley M. Garrison; Senator Jones o
Washington; Governor Martin H
Glynn of New York. John Barrett
2 director-general of the Pan-Americal
Union, and Elliott Woods, superintend
ent of the United States Capitol.
The Ransdell-Humphreys bill is tn
T,most important bill for the improve
ment of rivers and harbors now befor
Congress. 1t involves yearly expend
lures. to be made as rapidly as tn
work can be carefully DONE until tn
gigantic task of building levees on bot
sides of the lower Mississippi ha
been completed.
1t contemplates no halfway job.
proposes the largest expenditure {
any bill that is being seriously col
sidered by the national legislator
But when the work prescribed in
is completed. it will have afforded pr,
lection to the farmers on both sides {
the lower Mississippi from the fiood
which periodically destroy the result
of their labor.
Inasmuch as Senator Ransdell ,
Louisiana, who is leading the fight Il
the bill in the Senate, is president
the congress, the Ransdell-Humphrey
bill is sure to come in for its shal
of consideration.
President Wilson has intimated tn
,..H.tssesSeN