Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-05-25
International Commits
sion Meets With Com
mercial Club Directors
at Dinner Here.
Plan for Deep Waterway
to Atlantic Explained;
Hearing is Scheduled
for Helena.

Advantages which it is believ-
ed would flow from a realization
of the Great Lakes-to-O Ocean
movement as proposed through
the deepening of the st. Law
renee river from Montreal to
Lake Ontario and for which the
international joint waterways
commission is now holding hear
ings through the northwest,
were set forth Monday night at
an informal hearing given by the
commission in this city.
The hearing followed a dinner ten
dered to the commission by the directors
of the Great Falls Commercial club in
the palm room of Hotel Rainbow. Presi-
dent o. s. Warden of the Commercial
club presided and called upon those who
discussed the subject.
The members of the commission and
the others of the party who were at
the dinner were: Former L. s. Senator
Obadiah Gardner of Maine and L. s.
Senator c. d. Clark of Wyoming: for
the United States, and the Hon. Henry
A. Powell and the Hon. W. H. Hearst
for the Dominion of Canada. Others in
the party were Lawrence ]. Burpee, sec
rotary for the Canadian commissioners:
Charles p. Craig, executive director OF
the Great Lakes-St Lawrence Tide
water association of Duluth, WIS;
George ". Reik. secretary for the Amer
Jean commissioners: J. Chester Wilfong.
official press representative: A. J..
Coutley from the department of pubhc
works of Canada S. Wiling Bowen of
the Detroit News and Il. NJ. Landale,
representing q syndicate of newspapers.
Mrs. Powell, wife of Commissioners
Powell, is accompanying him on the
Senator Gardner Speaks.
The dinner was served at 8 o'clock
and the menu had been concluded at $40
when the hearing started. president
Warden pointed out the purpose OF the
meeting and assured the committee in
advance that Montana was for any
thang that gave promise of more ade-
quate transportation facilities.
Senator Gardner for the commission
outlined the history of the treaty which
provided the commission and told of the
broad powers given it. There are 20tU
miles of waterline boundary between the
United States and Canada, he said In
1919 the T.. S. congress had asked for
an investigation by the commission of
the proposition of bringing ocean going
vessels into the lake ports by deepening
the St Lawrence river from Montreal TO
the head of Lake Ontario. He said it
should be understood that the commits
sion is not creating a propaganda for
the proposition but merely gathering the
data for report and that it will not even
decide the feasibility Of the matter
Want Both Sides.
Commissioner Hearst spoke briefly
saying he wanted to impress the thought
that the commission was not asking
only for the favorable view but that it
wanted to hear anyone who might be
opposed, as well.
Other local men who spoke in favor
of the scheme. were J. III. Reid. as
sistant manager OF the Royal Milling
company; A. l.. Strobehn, of the Mon
tana Flour Mills: J. w. Goodman, traf
fic attorney; Scott Leavitt, secretary of
the Commercial club; Frank B. Brown,
vice president of the Great Falls Meat
company; j. J. Baucus Of the J. Il. Long
company and Fl. l.. Call and Dean Me-
Donald. lumbermen. Mr.. Craig was the
last speaker.
The commission viii go to Helena to-
day and will give a hearing there. Great
Falls will send a delegation to the hear
ing at the capital, in the party being
Traffic Attorney Goodman who will
present an array of facts and figures
which are believed Of Importance as
hearing on the proposition so far as
Great Falls is concerned