The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-08
RICHMOND ASSURED.

Continued from First Page)
investigate. that in making their esti-
mates for Congress, they may know
the necessity of Richmond
Wants Substantial Appropriation,
The senior senator declared IL dis
gusting and contemplate that appro~
priauons of 100000 should be made
on three miilion-doliar job. and he
showed that the average for the last
thirty years for the carrying on of the
James River Improvement has been
SIS, GOO. @What / want" he concluded,
is a substantial appropriation.
Mr.. Reed announced that S. r. Nor
gan. president OF the Virginia Caro-
lima Chemical Company. unable to at
tend the conference, being sick at his
home. Mr.. Morgan was to have
spoken at tae meeting. Mr.. Reed de-
clared that the ocean borne commerce
of Richmond can he doubled, even
quadrupied, in ten years with q TWEEN
ty-two-foot depth to the sea. He said
that II is true that Richmond has the
advantage of the same freight rates
by rail and water through Norfolk. as
Norfolk has on incoming freights from
baltimore, Philadelphia, New York
and the East but not on outgoing and
on ocean freights.
Frank D. Williams. next presented.
spoke from letter he had received
from the assistant general manager of
the Old Dominion Steamship Company
and from notes on information gained
from the james River pilots. The
pilots say. Mr.. Williams stated, that
while there is supposed to be an eigh-
teen-foot channel to Richmond they
would not feel 1t was safe to carry
more than sixteen feet or sixteen feet
six inches draft up or down the river.
The Old Dominion Company, he stated,
does not load to more than fourteen
feet. feeling greater draft unsafe. Mr..
Williams quoted the Old Dominion
manager that most of the ships in the
coastwise service load from eighteen
to twenty feet For bringing these
bottoms up to Richmond Mr.. Williams
said a twanty-two-foot channel Will be
sufficient
Industry Follows Transportation.
| Mr.. Williams declared that where
transportation is given Industrial
plants are established. He spoke OF
| the recent development at Hopewell
and of the rovers needs and declared
that II they will furnish the channel
we have the business and can furnish
1T. Speaking of freight rates Mr.. Will
| Hams said that was matter fraught
with danger. He thought there may
be method In the madness Of the
railroads in making rates the same
from Richmond and from Norfolk. If
the railroads give these rates and
the river Improvement Is abandoned.
then the rates may go up again.
"A twenty two-foot channel Is rea.
sonably attainable." he said, 'and
twenty-five feet will handle our bus,s
ness In conclusion he said that
Richmond collects annually for the
Federal Government nine million dol
lars through customs, internal reve-
nue. and postal sources and gets but
SIS. 900 n year
John c. Freeman. for many years
chairman OF the committe of the
Chamber Of Commerce on James Riv-
er Improvement, said that whether
citys streets be filled with commerce
or with growing grass depends upon
transportation. He pointed out that
on the average the cost Of rail trans
portation is about six times that or
water transportation. I'VE, in Rich
nond,' he declared. 'are vitality in
iterested and we should stand forever
for the opening of the river to the
sea. In the long time that I've been
connected with the committee, we
have always been met and assisted
by our senator. Cunning to Senator
MartIn). and by our Junior senator
and our congressman.
/ City Has Spent Million.
Thirty-one years ago after very
careful investigation, the United
States government, promised this city
a twenty two foot channel to the sea,
to cost 100000 The city of Rich
mond has spent more than $1,000
! 900 and, more recently. II has shown
its interest by purchasing river from.
property, giving us more than 5000
feet of wharfage.
| THE government" he insisted, sis
ready to help the city helping itself"
Mr.. Freeman then took up statistical
matters to show that the banks Of
Richmond In 1892 had assets amount
ling to s17ooo,ooo, while now the as
sets, exclusive of those Of the Fed.
eral Reserve Bank. are about $50
100000, The jobing business of the
Ieity has grown ssh 5000 to $17s.-
100000 in the last few years
That indicates very clearly said
Mr.. Freeman. what we can do ana
what we will do IL the opportunits
offers" He spoke OF the Impossible
iity Of vessels in the coastwise service
reaching Richmond. showing that OF
the sixty-eight now plying but three
can get in to Richmond safely and
five only by scraping bottom. which
s dangerous. He said the present
depth in the river Is the reason that
the Old Dominion is compelled to
transfer cargo to lighter draft and
smaller vessels. and of the Clyde line
transferring it's terminals from Rich
mona 10 Newport News
! Richmond PAYS 1t In Four Months.
"of all the money spent on rivers
and harbors In the country" he sad.
/ shut thirty -nine-hundredths Of one
per cent has gone to Improvements
OF the James River. 1t would require
only four months of what we are
paying to The government to complete
the river work. The money should be
tspent and a. once To give us this
Iadvantago~
Mr.. freeman continued. telling that
Richmond has become one OF the most
Important distributing points on the
Atlantic seaboard and impressing the
NECESSITY for adequate water trans
portation. He concluded: