The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-05-04
PROMINENT CONGRESsMEN
VISIT CITY OF WILMINGTON

first place he said public sentiment was
not strongly in favor of appropriations
for the improvements of rivers and
harbors like they are for other matters.
He was of the opinion that nothing of
great consequence would be done along
this line until the public was educated
to realize the Importance CT the matter
and regard it as a necessary appropri-
alton and one that could not be slight
~ regarded. If all the recommends
tons made by the various engineers in
charge of the work of improving the
: rivers and harbors was carried out it
would mean an annual appropriation
Of something owe $500, 000, 900 when
the appropriation for a number OF
years past has averaged only s19, 250,-
00C. The speaker declared in most Dos
tive terms that an appropriation OF
not less than SAC, 00O, 900 should be
made annually for river and harbor
! improvements.
Mr.. Jones said OF the appropriations
that had been made in the past that
Wilmington had been treated in a
most liberal manner and in asking for
increased appropriations he asked that
the people of Wilmington remembe:
that there are many other ports in the
United States whose claims are just as
meritOrious. All, he said. had to be
considered together and the small ap-
preparation made divided between
them.
In conclusion he urged that the peo-
pie recognize the fact that a great deal
: could be done b. creating a public sen
timent in favor of tt matter. When
this is done, he declared, then you will
have no trouble in getting your twenty
four feet.
President Taylor then introduced
Hon. J. e. Ransdell, of Louisiana, a
member of the rivers and harbOrs COM
mittee and also chairman Of the exc
cutlve committee of the national rivers
and harbors congress-.
Mr.. Ransdell is a planter and lives
on the great Mississippi river three
hundred miles above New Orleans.
He was of the opinion that no subject
before the commercial world at the
present time is as important as that of
transportation. The rate bill. he
said, some people seemed to Think
would be a panacea for all Ills
along this line but in this he feared
many would be disappointed. The
speaker did not think congress could
create a commission that could control
transportation matters; it is something
he declared, that cannot be controlled
by statute, it must be regulated BY
water transportation as far as possible.
He cited Texas as an example. Trans
portatiOn from a town which is three
hundred miles from Dallas, and in the
great cotton growing country cost the
farmers SO per bale. This state of af-
fairs he said could be changed by. max
ing the Trinity river navfgable and eff
forts have been made time and again
to get an appropriation but without
success. In the state of Texas the
speaker stated that there existed the
most stringent statutes against rail-
roads and the corporation commission
for the state has almost unlimited pow
er in transportation matters and still,
he declared, the above exhorbitant
charges exist.
He then cited an instance in his own
state, from his home to New Orleans,
a similar distance as that spoken of in
the state of Texas. He said he was a
planter and cotton was sent to New
Jill H IOiLlC " CO CcllIS Dt1
bale and sometimes it costs as much as
81 per bale.
He cited the fact that coal is carried
on barges from Pittsburg to New Or
leans for IS cents per ton, a distance of
two thousand miles. From Pittsburg
to Ashtabula, a distance of 135 miles
it costs 95 cents per ton to transport
coal and from Ashtabula to Duluth, d
distance of one THOUSAND miles it costs
only 35 cents.
All of this he said went to show what
a prominent place water transportation
! played in the commercial interests of
the country.
Sixteen years ago the speaker stated,
the engineer in charge of the work at
this port recommended a channel
something over two hundred feet wide
and twenty feet deep. At the present
time the river has a channel at and
below Wilmington of twenty feet and
a channel one hundred and forty-eight
feet wide. With the general appropri-
alton but little if any larger than in
the past he thought it would be many
years but there was a twenty-fOur foot
channel from Wilmington to the sea.
He also spoke of the importance Of
public sentiment being in favor of river
and harbor improvements. 1t might
be interesting to know, he stated, that
of the total appropriation made for
all purposes, which is about seven hun
dred and twelve million dollars an
nually only three per cent is used in
river and harbor improvements.
Mr.. Ransdell stated that at the meet
ing of the rivers and harbors congress
held several months ago that it was
the sentiment of all present that con-
gross be urged to make appropriation
of $50, 000, 900 in the future for river
and harbor improvements.
The object of the present trip into
the south, he said, was to arouse sent
iment in favor of improving the rivers
and harbors; to put the cold facts be-
fore the public. In a general way he
declared that he favored every project