Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-09-26
FIRE OPENING GUN
in FIGHT TO DEEPEN
CHANNEL OF JAMES
Step Taken by Chamber of
Commerce in Adoption
of Resolutions.
HEAD OF WATERWAYS
BODY TALKS HERE
Small Urges Coordination Of
Highways, Railways and
Waterways.
NECESSARY Fon crrr's GROWTH
Paper Petitions Governor to Call Ses-
sion of Legislature to Hcmcdy
Redistricttng Defect.

Adoption OF resolutions TO tho ef-
/ feet that the city Of Richmond tho
/ Chamber of Commerce and other civic
/ organizations cooperate ut once in
plans to interest Congress In the work
OF deepening the channel OF tho
James River To thirty feet, and
unanimc us approval OF motion by
senator James E> Cannon that tho
legislative committee of tho Cham
/ her OF Commerce wait upon Cover
nor L. Lee Trinkle and urge him TO
( call an extra session OF the General
! Assembly during this year to correct
! AN error in the senatorial redistrict-
/ ing act adopted by the last General
Assembly. featured the quarterly
! meeting OF the Richmond Chamber
I Of Commerce. held in the auditorium
/ uf the jefferson Hotel last night
/ John II. Small. president of the Ma
/ tional Rivers and Harbors Congress,
was the principal speaker OF the
"vcning. and his talk was along tho
line of co-ordinating tho highways,
I railways and waterways TO bring
about better transportation for tho
| distributicn OF products OF the fac
/ tories and farms. He said Richmond
/ demands for her continuous growth
all the facilities for transportation
possible to possess.
instrumcntsutieS of transportation,
/ The three instrumentalities OF
| transportation. he said, were high
ways. railways and waterways. You
are gradually coming to your own In
Virginia in the matter OF highways,
as you are preparing -to~get in the
procession and build roads," he said
He pointed out that good roads arc
invaluable In the social and economic
life OF any city or State. fIe said
| highways arc worth all they cost and
stressed that II Virginia Is going &c,
put herself in the favorable situa-
uon Of other States. she must have
better highways. "O,d highways,
even tho macadam roads, do not
! meet the requirements OF the pres
ent age. You must have hard sur
faced roads," he said
Mr.. Small said the United States
had the best railroads in the world.
! the best cars for passengers and
freight, and the hest rates in the
I world. He said tn. railways have
their place, not as masters. but as
scrvitors. and are entitled TO be
treated in absolute fairness by thu
c'pic. and tho capital invested in
,hcm Is entitled TO fair return on
; ;hc Investment
Yet TO Come Into own.
Waterways. he said. are vet 10
com" into their own. WATERWAYS
| ar" the cheapest agencies OF trans
! portation, the speaker said. in stress
! ing the fact that towns and cities
situated on waterways have been
the towns and cities that hays
SHOWN me greatest advancement Mr..
| small said there was no more noble
river than the James: no more CA
! paclous or safer harbor than Hamp-
ton Roads, and no more capactous
and SAFER entrance than that az
! forded by the mighty waters be-
tween Cape Henry and Cape Charles-
Richmond has at It's command, the
| speaker said. the greatest waterway
! In the world. with facilities to put
( her commerce into every port and
through the Suez Canal to foreign
lands The question. he said, wns
/ whether Richmond Is using the
James River rs she ought. and II
not. why not.
/ Mr.. Small stressed the necessity
/ or water transportation having
/ boat lines Of the most approveT
/ iypeSi boats owned by corporations
I Win ample capital. manned BY COM
pctent officials, and employing ex
pcrts in traffic.
re SAID every waterways transpor-
tation line must enjoy q system OF
pro rata rates with the railways and
were Obstacles in this line, they must
be removed IIe stressed the fact
that successful river Transportation
comes only through adequate term
maj Facilities. and pointed out that
richmond possessed none OF ,hes.
laciiitics, not even direct connec-
'toh with railways or electrical ar
ransements for the handling cc
freight.
Norfolk II Awakening
Mr.: Small said Norfolk is awaken
NIX from her long sleep and Is talk
'hS or doing something with her
great ratura! water facilities II.
reviewed action OF Congress since
1881 when twcnty-foot channel
was recommended tor the James
kiEcr. and read from records to show
that nothing whatever has been dom.
IN recent years towards obtaining
mat depth. and also showing that
tte James River has not inquired IN
thr approximations, cXccr; for main
tenance OF what is already there.
j. Marcusc. president OF the
'hamher OF Commerce. presided at
She meeting and, following the talk
by Mr. Small, asked for a suitabl,
f"s"!u'i"n covering Richmonds de-
Sir"S in tho matter OF dcrpeniue thu
lanes. Colonel Julien ~ u!n. prcsl.
d"a' of tn" state and City Bank ard
Irnsi Company. offered the follow
uE resolution.
"Whereas II is apparcu; that RICH
m"nd. 10 measure up to IT'S possl5iH-
les as an industrial! center, rcqu.yea
that James River be dcepcned TO tbs
extent Of a channel OF thirty feet ~
low tide. with adequate wartase ia
cilities;
Therefore. be 1, resolved. That tho
Richmond Chamber OF Cou;Foree. ,hs
CONTINUED on Page o. COL ~