The Cairo bulletin., 1905-11-16

scale and every cent of that sum wi
be required, for our present cash ba
rIance will speedily melt away befor
\ the heavy drafts we shall necessaril
make upon It. The people of the Obi
Valley have been educated 10 tn
righteousness of our cause. and W
Unjust now turn our efforts 10 edi
G eating the people OF the whole countr,
from the Atlantic to the Pacific an
from the Great Lakes to thel Gull
AS an Illustration Of how much Ma
: ltional Education Is needed, you VII
mo amazed, as I was the other day
I to learn that the foremost Commercial
bodies Of the great City Of ST. Louis
I were not fully posted as to the pur
pose Of the National Waterways Con
grees to be held in Washington earl.
next year. and expressed the idea tina
said convention being held in the Isas
would be dominated by Eastern men
who would only seek Improvements o
waters in that territory exclusively /
such erroneous ideas prevail at oul
very doors III there not urgent ane
immediate need for National Educa
ton?
As Won have been told the pur
pose OF he National Watersways con
gfess. IL to urge the government to
grant larger and more regular appro
priations for the Improvement OF our
Rivers and Harbors. That Congress as
It's name indicates VII work on Ma
ticnal lines solely and every local
Waterways Association In this conn.
ltrs should cndeaytr TO do its utmost
Ito make that Congre; S q success.
Let ne impress upon you the fact,
/ that at banquet held at Cincinnati
! In May last. the suggestion for the
holding of Nat .onal Waterways con.
Ivontinn first came from the Hon.
James n. Ransdall. OF Louisiana. a
member Of HE Committee on Rivers
ana Harbors. A few days later en-
board the steamer Queen City at n
meeting in which all the members Of
the Rivers and Harbors committee in
the party participated there being
more than majority Of the full com.
mttee present. a resolution was
adopted calling fer a preliminary Ma
tionaI Waterways conference at Gin
einnati: thai conference was held at
The expense of this Association on
June 29th and 50th last. ami appoint
cd a committee to visit Baltimore and
bring about q call for the holding OF
the National Rivers and Harbors con
sress
Another fact, Mr.. Chairman, | earn
estly desire TO impress upon this con
vention. which is. that the members
OF the National Rivers and Earbors
are most friendly towards
this cause. This they have manifest
ed in many ways and upon many ocea
sions. We must always bear in mind
however that said committee occupies
q quasijudicial position and each year
is practically swamped by having sub
mltted TO III projects lgood and badl
Tor the Improvement Of waterways all
over The ceuntry.
They must separate the "chaH from
the wheat ana having done 50, reg
uiarly find thai the funds ay.lable fos
such purposes arc not in the least
adequate to cover the expenses OF |
carrying ON approved and mcritorlous
improvements. They believe in such I
impro4 e1.cfIts az. r3 I II lv Wn I
der take them ii az funds tl"r frl
were available. which they are not:
hence they AK our assistance III
public opinion and in educa.
ting the people so that congress may
know in decided manner, their wish.
es for increased and more regular APP.
Mr. Chairman, much has been said
and written recently against trusts
ana am not here ii take issue there
With but | am here 10 declare that |
favor the Incorporation Of some trust
ideas in the future conduct of our
work
Hereafter / shall favor cooperation /
with all Associations representing
projects of a National
fer concerted and eontinu /
GUS action until leg station is secured |
for larger-much larger and regular
more regular. appropriations for the
improvement of our navi- |
gable waterways.
The time is my Judgment. is now
ripe fol work toward that end and 1t !
is apparent 10 me. that if it is ever TO
ccme about. this Assoc alton must |
take the lead. Not for one single mo-
meat forgetting our local needs. yet I
must we. from now on. begin 10 work !
on National lines. We must circular. /
lie the entire country: We must rally /
to our standard all Boards Of Trade +
and other Commercial organizations. /
We must send our speakers. as teach
ers. far and near. Again, we have I
been repeatedly asked for statistics
as TO the tonnage OF the Ohio River
No accurate figures on that subject
exist today. so far as ! am aware.
We have recently received a cOmmun-
icaticn from Lieutenant Colonel Gin
ton f. Sears. OF the L. S. Corps Of En-
ginegrs and one of the Board Of Engi-
neers recently appointed. By the Ser