Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-21
CONGRESS Of TRADE
PACKS KANSAS CITY
Waterways Discussed at Trans
Mississippi Convention.
A DAY OF SAFEGUARDING
Better Trade Relations Needed With
South America.
PUBLIC DRAINAGE SCHEMES
Many Additional Delegates Are
Reaching Kansas City by Every
Train-Alaska Has Place.
A DAY OF SAFEGUARDING
Better Trade Relations Needed With
South America.
DRAINAGE SCHEMES

KANSAS CITY. Mo-, November 21.-At
the trans Mississippi commercial congress
which Is meeting here In annual convention
this was to be day Of speeches. according
to the prearranged program. Many addi-
tional delegates, delayed in reaching the
city yesterday by storms, arrived during
the night and today.
The topics up for consideration today In
Guided the Improvement of waterways and
levees, trade relations with the South
American countries. reclamation Of sub
merged lands. public drainage. matters OF
insurance control. naval construction and
Alaska.
1t was intended to give the Latin-Amerf-
can diplomats. who were crowded out OF
last nights program chance to speak and
to hear from Victor c. Anderson. president
Of the Colorado School Of Mines. who has
been authorized to speak for the Western
Federation of Miners. and who failed to
reach Kansas City yesterday and take his
place on the program them
At the morning session the first thing was
the call of states for nominations for chair
men of delegations. vice presidents. menu
bers of the executive committee and MEM
bers of the committees on permanent OF.
ganization and resolutions.
The first address Of the day was deifvered
by Representative ]. E.. Ransdell OF Lake
Providence. La. Oh "The Improvements VI
Navigable Waterways.
Hon. ], E. Ransdell Of New Orleans.
chairman Of the executive committee OF the
National Rivers and HarborS Congress.
spoke on the Improvement of Navtgaoie
Waterways of the Country He SAID IN
part:
If Congress could be induced to adopt
the broad and liberal waterway policy car
ried out during the past century by France
and Germany in improving all their rivers
and connecting them by canals 50 there
is first class water communication al all
times between all parts OF these countries.
there are very few places in the Union
which would not derive the greatest bene-
fit. very few communities whose citizens
would rot receive each year in reduced rates
of freight at least one dollar to two dol
lars for every dollar expended on their
waterways. Surely this would pay. An
investment that yields return OF lCO 10
go per cent a year Is worthy of speedy
adoption.
In the improvement of highways and
waterways we are away behind the ad-
vanced countries of Europe. In most OF
our states the highways which permeate
our farming. forest and mining sections are
a, disgrace to civilization and heavy tax
upon all the products of field, forest ana
mine. The cost OF moving freight over our
wretched earth roads Is fully 70 cents per
ton Ger sniie as compared with 1.S mills per
4 ton Ger mile by rail, and less than one mill
by water. In France and Germany the
waterways are so marvelouSly developed
that freight can be moved by water with
out breaking bulk from practically every
part of France and Germany to every other
part at rates less than one-sixth as high
as those by rail. Let emulate their wise
example.
Surely when we are giving to war and its
rewards 2SO.0O0.0CO a year-$S.JO for every
man, woman and child in the country
we can afford to do much better than Is
cents for our splendid commerce which
makes us the greatest commercial nation
of the world and annually pours into cur
laps trade balance in our favor of $780,
10000 Let US unite with our brethren
of the entire Union and bring about the
adoption by Congress Of broad. liberal
policy toward all the national waterways.
and sufficient appropriations annually to
carry on wise and systematic plan OF
river and hartor Improvement.
You cannot do better than indorse the
work Of the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress and assist in its work.
Mr. w. E. Van Diver insurance COM
missioner Of Missouri. next spoke. He ad-
vocated building up western insurance COM
panies, saying:
The twenty -thrc. -, es and territories
lying west of the Mississippi river last year
contributed to insurance companies S1G4.
2700c0 in premiums. Docs any one doubt
that the commercial supremacy Of New
York Is due to the Capitalization of the
insurance assets in that market more than
to any other one factor? The insurance
representatives of New York run back to
1879. At that time there were fourteen
leading l-fe insurance companies doing
business there and their total assets
amounted In round numbers to 5000. 600.
with total insurance of S14lfHS1 tkM
'"On the first of last January forty-two
companies doing business there reported
assets of more than two billion and total
insurance in force of more than twelve
billions Of dollars.
This stupendous increase Of nearly COCO
per cent Is more than five times the per
cent of Increase In assets of all the rail-
road companies in the United States. It Is
no wonder that the greltest financiers of
the world are now battling for the control
of these stupendOus assets and no wonder
that great railroad magnates find the great
insurance presidents their necessary allies
In business. More money is handled by
the insurance company than by all the
transportation companies In the country
and 1t Is the Capitalization OF these Inn
mense accumulations In one locality that
makes that locality tie seat OF the financial
empire Of America.
"Wali street could not control the banks
Of the United States IL It's hand did not
reach uD the full length of Broadway and
keep its fingers in the vaults which hold
the premium reserves Of nearly twenty mil
lions Of insurance pc .ces. I feel therefore
that the most important matter that can
be brought before the consideration of this
body ia the development of the insurance
business In this great field which the trans
Mississippi congress represents"
HEA DON COLLISION