The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-08
President Speaks to the 1 Delegates.
MUST HAVE FACILITIES
Resolution Adopted Asking for
 $5O,OOO,OO0 Appropriation.
SpOkesman Declares to Roosevelt That Only By Proper River and HaK- bor Improvement Can Rail-
 roads He Regulated.

Washington. Dec 7.-Presidemf
 Roosevelt told the delegates to the Ma
 tonal Rivers and Harbors Convcntior
 when they called on him at the Wnits House today that he would consult with
 the leaders tn Congress and expressed
 the hope that something definite and effective could be done in the way of increased appropriations for the tuS~ provement of the nations waterways
 Albert Beilinger of Cincinnati. O.
 the convention spokesman, advanced
 the proposition that the national wa
 terways made efficient by the aid of the government will not only supply the deficiency of transportation faciIl- ties present and prospective. but would so equitabiy and naturally regufate
 freight charges as to be most condu~ cive to continued prosperity.
 He told the President that the con- vention suggested regular annual ap- propriations of not less than s50,O0o,0oa to replace the hitherto desultory and inadequate appropriations" for the im4
 provement of the waterways and to place their prosecution on q business basls. insuring their completion within a reasonable length of time
 The President replied as follows:
 "Gentlemen--It Is very great pleas ure to greet so distinguished body of men who have come to this great city in connection with a measure of the utmost consequence to the nation as a whole. l have come to feel a growing sense Of the importance of es-
 tablishing q Gar reaching plan for the general improvement of the waterways of the country.
 1T was hrst led to the consideration of that plan by considering another
 plan Tor the use of water not in eon-
 nection with the waterways but in connection with preparing the land at
 the head of the river to produce the harvests that later in part should be
 carried on the rivers lower down. that is, In connection with the irrlga- ton policy in which so strongly be- 1 Aeve as vital to the welfare of the Rocky Mountain and adjacent states. Must Have Facilities. Just as l feel that the n lsc sass | government should concern s4eif Yaftsl utilization of the water of rivers in 1 their sources where the country is dfs. ! SO feel the national governucas 1 should concern itself with the prope I control and utilization of the water lower down In the liver where thss are fitted to be the great arteries ct ] communication. We need and must
 have further facilities for transpors
 ton
 ter into any disculIsion of tile
 details of your plan untfl have spoken
 with some of the leadsus of the two | houses of. Congress. ] shall coneult with them at once and trust that sofac
 thKlg definite and effecuvs can be done along the lines that you mention. You
 understand, gentlemen, could not OIL ! hand commit myself to the details 9t
 any policy without taking into consid'
 eration what the feeling of the co-or. | dinate branches would be and l muai
 be guided largely by their views. | am sure that you win find there the l genius, patriotic spirit to do what ia best for the interests of our common | country"
 Want Big ApPFoprlation. | The unanimous adoption of the rear olution, urginy Congress to appropri- ' ate annually not less than $bO,VOesovU | for the improvement of rivers. harbors
 and waterways. com1nencing with tna present session and the appointment or i a committee of eighteen delegates, head
 ed by former Governor D. R. Francis. 1 of Missouri to present the se1timents i of the convention to the President and 1 to Congress, concluded the business proceedings of the body today. l Among the speakers today were Wl4- 1 Ham B. stillwell, President of the | Board of Trade. Savannah. Ga.' and AA
 T. Bryan. Nashville. Tenn
 l l. N, Teal of Portland. Ore. chair | man of the Committee on Resolutions, l brought in the platform report which was adopted by a rising vote. The re- 1 port in part follows;
 l "present conditions demonstrate that | the transDortation facilities are tolalAT | inadeduate for the prompt and econom- | teal transportation of the products Of the country Hundreds of millions Of | dollars are lost annually to our farm CTS and other producers by the failure 1 of inc national Government to provide | the assistance which properly inprov- l cd natural waterways will give an ln-
 creased facility for transporting freight. "The opening of the Panama Canal
 which will so greatly increase our fa- | cIlfties for trade at the Orient and l inc awakened development of closer business relations with South American
 republics emphasizes the importance ot
 ,,,sterwavs as one of the nations first < Importance.