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_ Entertaining the Delegates | The City of Philadelphia Was Lavish in Its Care of the Delegates --Trips to Points of Interest--Mayor Blankenburg a Rare Host URING their stay in Philadelphia D the delegates were loyally enter- tainéd by the local committee. On Thursday, May 23, at the conclusion of the opening meeting of the sessions the delegates were taken in automobiles to the Commercial Museum to. see the special navigation exhibition. This exhibition included models of the Panama canal, locks and dams, the New York state barge canal, as well as a model showing the compre- hensive plans for the development of the .port of Philadelphia. In the evening the delegates were taken to Keith's theater where arrange- ments had been made for a movinz picture display of actual operations along the route of the Panama canal. This display was greatly appreciated by the delegates, as it was a revela- tion in the application of machinery in excavating, loading, transportin2 and unloading earth. Sight Seeing Trips Friday was given. over to. sight- seeing altogether, the delegates hav- ing the option of making a trip along the Delaware river from Trenton to the League. Island navy yard. or 'of visiting the anthracite coal fields and the plant of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. More than 300 went to Trenton, where they were addressed by Gov- ernor Woodrow Wilson in the state house. .1t is 'doubtful. if the © dele- gates ever listened to an address that was briefer and yet more to the point. He declared that the country had well solved the problem of railroad transportation, but that it had not as yet built up an adequite system of waterways. He believed that the railways and waterways should supplement each other. Speak- ing in a slightly satirical vein, the Governor. stated that the United States was undoubtedly the most unselfish country in the world, be- cause, after having practically abol- ished its own merchant marine it was now engaged in building a canal for the exclusive benefit of foreign ships. He insisted that there' would have to be a change in the attitude of the nation towards' its shipping, other- wise there would be no American ships to pass through the canal. He thought also that the meeting of the i brenton: by Mayor congress in the United States would serve to cement nations, pointing out that the United States is foreign to. ho. country,.-but is. father .a..na- tion built up and enriched by all na- tions. Cape May and Atlantic. City The delegates were received at Fred Donnelly, who accompanied the party on its trip along the Delaware. The dele- gates were given an opportunity to wisit every part -of the plants: at Cramp's; the New York Ship Build- ing Co: and the League Island. navy yard. At the latter place the battle- 'ship Connecticut happened to pe in dry dock and was thoroughly ex- plored by them. At Bethlehem, the delegates were received personally. by Charles M. Schwab, who conducted them through the entire plant and gave them a din- ner at the conclusion of their : in- spection. On Sunday, the' party had the. op- tion of visiting either Cape May or Atlantic City. The delegates were about equally divided between the two excufsions. The special train which conveyed the delegates from Philadelphia..to Atlantic ~City con- sisted of all-steel cars and the trip of 60 miles was made in 43 minutes, said to be the fastest time ever made on. the line. Upon reaching Atlantic City a special concert was given on the steel pier during the morning hours, followed by luncheon at the Marlborough- Blenheim. The after- noon was spent in sight-seeing, the party returning to the Marlborough- Blenheim in the evening for an elab- erete dinner. Ehe'Cape May party were taken about the harbor in launches and made an inspection of the breakwater now in course of construction at Cape May. The services of the life saving crew were drafted to embark the party upon the sidewheel steamer Queen Anne, as stages of water did not permit her coming alongside the. dock. The trip of 96 miles along the Delaware to Philadelphia was a most enjoyable A buffet luncheon was served aboara the steamer and a stop made in the evening at Washington Park planked shad dinner. The grand banquet of the congress was held in the ballroom of the Bellevue-Stratford on Monday even- for a ing, May 27, Mayor Rudolph Blank- enburg, of Philadelphia, <cting as toastmaster and a more agreeable one it would not be possible to find. The first speaker. was..M. Timonoff, act- ing president of the congress. He was followed. by General W. H. Psxby, chief; of engineers; M. Char- gueraud, of Paris, vice president of the congress for France; Captain Matsumura, naval attache Japanese Embassy, Patis; John C. Bell, attor- ney general of Philadelphia, and Con- gressman J. Hampton Moore. Visit to Washington and Pittsburgh On Tuesday evening the foreign delegates left for Washington where they were received by President Taft. They then went to Harrisburg and were entertained by Governor Tener. Pittsburgh entertained them for two days, during which they visited the great steel plants of the district. The delegates returned to Philadelphia on Jipe 2, and on 'June 3° lefts for .Chi- cago via the Hudson river. June 4 and 5 were spent in New York City, and on June 6.a tour of the Hudson river was made on one of the steam- ers of the Hudsom River Day Line, stopping at West Point. The party reached Buffalo on June 8 for a tour of the great lakes. Merger of Canadian Lines It is now certain that before the summer is 'over all of the Canadian passenger and -freight lines merged into a single company. The stockholders of the Richelieu & On- tario Navigation Co. have just rati- fied the details of the merger which has been carried on by the directors during the past two years. The mer- will be ger will give the Richelieu & On- tario Navigation Co. control of more than 70 steamers of all classes and according to an official statement is- sued will include the Northern Nav- igation Co., the Niagara Navigation Co, the Inland Lines, Ltd, the Tur- binia Steamship Co., the Hamilton Steamboat Co., the Thousand Islands Steamboat Co., and the St. Lawrence River Navigation Co., with terminal properties in Quebec, Three Rivers. Scovel, Toronto, Hamilton, Sault Ste. Marie, Midland, Montreal, Fort Wil- liam and other points along the Niag- ata and St. Lawrence rivers.