The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-15
PASSAGE OF RIVERS AND HARbORS BILL
 URGED AT MEETING
Representatives of Interests of Alabama and Tennes- see Meet With Con-
 gressmen
By c. E. STEWART

Washington. August 14.--tSpecial )-Rep- resentatives of the commercial and other interests of Alabama and Tennessee met with the senators and representatives of those two states at the Willard hotel to- night for the purpose of discussing plans to aid in the passage of the rivers and harbors bill now pending in the Senate at this session.
 Senator Bankhead explained the present sta tus of the bill in the Senate and ad- mitted that the situatiop as to it's passage at this session was grave. The senator pointed out the difficulty in keeping a quorum of the Senate in Washington at this time because of the approaching election, and the longtime Congress had been in session. Senator Bankhead de- clared that the Senate had in caucus of the democrats made the antitrust meas ures the party programme. although it was also agreeddthat the Senate should remain in session unil the rivers and har- bors bill had passed. He expressed the opinion that it would be the first of Sep tember and maybe the 10th before the antitrust bills were out of the way. The hope of passing the rivers and harbors bill after that time depended on the re- taining of a quorum. The other senators agreed with Senator Bankhead in his analysis of the situation, but Senator Lea of Tennessee expressed the belief that the Senate would pass the bill Representa- tive Underwood declared that the House would be ready to meet the situation after the Senate had completed it's work.
 Administration Programme
 There was considerable discussion of the wisdom of asking the aid of the Presi- dent and requesting the executive to make the rivers and harbors bill a part of the administration programme. Most of the senators, however. took the view that the Senate had practically done thIs in their agreement to remain in Wash irgton until the bill was passed.
 J. w. Worthington of Sheffield ex- plained to those present ;he importance to Alabama that the bill be passed as speedily as possible. Mir. Worthingtor pointed out that the work on the Ten 1. nessee river would be greatly hampered if the measure was forced to lie over till next session. He also quoted pro- posed river rates as compared with rail read rates on pig iron and other com modities from Sheffield to Evansville, St Louis, Louisville and other points, the differences in rates being from $1 to s1 5C a ton in favor of the water rates. The appropriation in the present bill will con- rlete the work that will open water transportation to these points from Shef- field.
 Brandon Speaks
 Judge w. W. Brandon from Tuscaloosa made an eloquent plea for action on the bill. Judge Brandon explained that the Sa5o,000 carried in the bill for the Warrior river would complete lock r and open the E great coal fields of Alabama to the trade through the port of Mobile. A scheme that had occupied the attention of the government for years and upon whicl ,000 had been spent Failure4to pass the bill, Judge Brandon declared would not only postpone this great deveiopmen, for year. but would entail great loss t. the government itself and work untold hardships upon the coal fields district oi Alabama.
 The members of Congress presented promised that they would bend every ef- fort to get the bill through Congress al this session. It is likely that senators will call upon the President and ask his cooperation in getting the bill through It Is generally agreed, however, that un- Ill the trust programme is completed the rivers and harbors bill must wait
 The Alabamans present Ut the confer. ence were: Senator BanlShead Repre-. sentative Underwood, Capt. W. P. Lay Gadsden; Judge w. w. Brandon, Tusca. loosa; s. T. Blackwell. Decatur w. c Ashoraft and NJ W. Camper, Florence J w Worthington of Sheffield and Tyler Goodwin of Montgomery.