Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1903-10-31
IN AID OF LEVEES
A Letter From President Roosevelt is
Read
TIE CONVENTION At sEv ORLEANS
Ose Of the 7Ost important Gather
isEs Ever fiesd In the Valley OF The
Mississippi


Ncw Orleans. Spcciaf---Resolved %
appeal to the Federal govcrnment Tor
adequate All 90 ievec hoth banks %
The Mississippi river ana 60 maintain
such lex - az maxir1un -rate. there
by making possible the rcr,anati0n
and protection ~ the zinrslal lands
and imp-ogi Ing navigation. tss- largest
end most influential ls-vee couEcnticn
held in tho valley convened hcrc Tues
day. when President Chas- Scott called
tn. Inter state Mississippi River I'm
provemcnt AMI I,evec Assoclstioa "a
aEasr
The occasion WAS otherwise q rot
able one by the direct announcemene
by the President 81 the United Sta;~&
o. hts sympathy with the movement
which tn convention proposes 20 ~
ausuratc. Tn. delegates represented
eight or ten States - the Hississlppi
ami Ohio valleys and included Gov
F ernors. SENATORS Members - Cen
gress hiEh railroad officials and
representatives ~ commercial cx-
.
In calling The convention 20 order
I President Scott defended the Icvec
system and urged the constitutional
it's. thc cxpcdisncc and The conner-
ciai AMI military necessity OF GOV
eminent charge q the river Mayor
Capedeviiie and Governor Heard made
addresses ~ welcome Chas. Scott
was made permanent chairman ~ the
convention. and John " bryant. %
Louisiana. and "a a Evcrman. of Ms
sissippl. SECRETARIES. and committee
. ON resolution composed % two dele
. gates from each STATE representing
the t.n.at large were provided FOR
Before The convention took a rc-
cess. Chairman Parker q the com
mittec on arrangements. read a let
tcr FROM President Roosevelt which
aroused ruth enthusiasm. The
prsel trnt wrote
MIS- dear Mr. Parker. Permit me-
I through You to express ms vers great
Interest," in the work of thc Interstate
. l.vDe convention Exactly a. have
taken q Keen interest in irrigation m
Tho aria regions. $50 / feel thar the
. F movement for thoroughly protecting
tae Mississippi iow lands ~ lcvcss b.
one 90 Importance to the whole coun-
, try. no less than 10 the people imme-
, tiately adjoining the great river
wish am success % your convention
aud shall foNoW itr prncccdinEs with
close attention.
sincerely yours.
iSlgl THEODORE ROOSEVELT
When thp letter had been read. Muir
ray p smith 90 Nlckshurg. offered
e the following resolution which wa-
So unanimously adopted
Resolved That the thanks ~ ths
w. people of the Mississippi valley ar'
lr hereby rendered o. President Roose
Welt. through this convention for hh
\ manly and patriotic letter. endorsing
~ the improvements 10 the channel a.
'hc Mississipp river and the protes
ton ~ the vast area az alluyial an.
y. / fertile territory aioug Us hanks IRON
~ devastation by Foods thereby cor
serving aud faCiiitatinEx the vast an
D., I growing Interstate commerce alrcat
ot transacted through the medium q
great railroad systems behind tho d
% wees
ty IL is requested that these resoi'
ticns be- wired 90 the President
'c The convention took a rec ss ant
he Thursday
AT the opening ~ the night sessiu
b. judge y e. Blanchard OF Louisiana
Il. spoke. urging government control
IA / the lcvses.
Secretary of AEriculture James W
SON. folloNin Judge blanchard. ~
~ welcomed with great curdialty. n
said the question OF government CO
%" troll ~ the lcyces was a ncV one
him. 10 interested him deeply art q
rf- people II the lover valley had h
'rd deepest sympathy in pushing b.
Use The Secretary spoke for the NJ
policy the government had adopted
re- matter Of irrigation in the West ?
n urged the imperative necessity
for forest preservation and ~ dam cu
struction for the dual purposes
Inc adding agriculture aus reducing q
h.. volume OF water poured through q
AT / great river
led Congressman J = RansGsn &
! lowed Secretary Wilson
bu-