The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-24
CANAL COMMITTEE NOT DEFERRED BY
 ADVERSE REPORT J. A. VanHOOse Will Come
 to Birmingham to Dis
 cuss Project MOTION THINKS PLANS WILL BE CARRIED OUT Excessive Cost and Inadequate Water Supply Given by Engineers as
 Reasons for UnfavOrable Report on Canal

Despite the adverse report of govern ment engineers on the project to canalize Valley creek from the Warrior river to Bessemer, the local committee, 1t Is un- derstood will go ahead with it's plans as outlined at a recent meeting, ana will send a committee to Washington 10 present data which will be compiled.
 ]. A. vanHoose, chairman of the com mittee appointed to investigate the canai project. is expected to come to Birmins- ham from Bangor immediately to meet the members of the committee, and dis- cuss the report and future plans.
 While no official report has been made by MT. VanHoose in regard to the meas ures to be taken by the committee, T. Il. Motion. member of the committee, said that he believed the. plans of the com mittee would go ahead without impor- tant change. MT. Motion said also that MT. vanHoose had Said since he was named chairman of the committee that no matter what the report of the ensi- neers' committee might be, he intenoeo to go ahead with the project.
 Members of the committee do not at
  sons advanced in the report of Maj. w. l.. Guthrie of the engineering corps desig- hating as unfavorable che conditions which surround the movement.
 q was never more disappointed in any thing in my life than I was in the ad- verse report of the engineers said MT. Motion We, thought, had reason to think that the report would be favorable. Although the engineers who attended the meeting in Birmingham, where the local committee was appointed, would make no statement as to what their report would be. we understood that they had said in private conversation that it would be favorab ble
 WILL NOT INTERFERE
 However, I do not believe that the report will interfere with the work of the committee. While I cannot speak for the committee itself. I am in favor of going ahead with the plans we had outlined with increased vigor"
 In answer to the statement incorporated as one of the reasons for the unfavorable report that there will be difficulty in providing an adequate water supply, MT. Motion says he does not believe CnlS Op- jection will bear Investigation.
 In answer to the objection on the grounds of excessive cost of the improve ment MT. Motion says that the Warrior river on which the government has spent millions of dollars, can never yield it's full return of profit until some measure is adopted placing the Birmingham dis trict on the Warrior.
 There were four reasons given by the engineers for their unfavorable report. the other two being the high cost of traffic along the canal, both to the fed eral government and to shipping interest, and the ample rail facilities now serving the established industries.
 MAY APPEAL FROM REPORT ! Parties interested in the movement are entitled to an appeal from the report 10 the board of engineers for rivers and harbors. a permanent body sitting at 7! Washington, to which all examination | and survey reports of this character are referred, according to MT. Guthrie, in communication accompanying the report which was sent direct to The Age Herald | The movement for canalizing Valley creek from Bessemer to the Warrior which was started more than 20 years | mingham Real Estate exchange took ur the proposition and appointed commit l tee to investigate the feasibility of ths
 project and go to Washington to presen
 the claims. J. A. VanHoose called tho
 Father of the Canal" was named chair
 man of the committee.