The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-22
ADVOCATES
 LEVEE LAWS Shepard of Texas Makes
 Strong Speech. PEOPLE MUST HELP SELVES Improved Waterways Among Topics Discussed at Kansas City. Delegates to Trans Mississippi Congress Put in Busy Day--Former NHin- ister to Columbia Talks on
 Panama Canal.
 
PEOPLE MUST HELP SELVES

Kansas City, Nov. 21.-Speeches and resolutions covering wide range oi subjects took up the time today oi the three sessions of the Trans-Mis' sissinpi Commercial Congress. I'm proved waterways. insurance and cur rency reforms. the value of the Pan anna Canal as a means of enlarging ouH trade relations with the Soutn AneE ,csn ranublics and the necessity of closer relations between the United States and those countries. the great value to the South of improved levees and the resources and needs Of Alaska were some of the topics touched upon
 The principal speakers were J. E. Ransdell. representative from Louis jana; w. D. Vandiver. Superintendent of Insurance of Missouri: pr. w. s. Woods, President of the National Bank of Commerce of Kansas City; John Bar rett, United States Minitser to Colom- hia: Minister CaIderon, of Bolivia; Min istcr Pardo, of Peru: Minister Cortes, of Colombia: Representative Morris Sheppard of Texas; J. G. Brady of Bos- ton and Richard Kerens of St. Louis.
 Morris Sheppard, of Texas, one of the youngest congressman in the na- tional house. made an earnest plea Tor inc upbuilding of the lsvee system and won warm applause from the delegates. He spoke in part as follows:
 "The question of levees," he said, "af- fects nearly one-half the total area of our country and involves the material welfare of thirty-five millions of the American people"
 Wants Levee Laws.
 He took the various arguments urged against levees,, especially the claim .k o fntaPfAFGnCA with the laws of nature, and showed that the arguments were without foundation. He demonstrated that there as no real conflict between irrigation projects and levee enterprises showing that they were the product of entirely different Eeographlcal conditions, and had a common aim, the improvement of the } prbductiveness Of the soil
 Congressman Shepard described n der : taAt t4fhe development of the magnificent levee system of the Mississippi River, and urged the enactment of effective leyee laws in every State where there were lands subject to overflow. He said the States and localities should first make an effort to help themselves, as the people of the Mississippi Valley had done. and then they could justly ask for Federal aid.
 He said the construction of Ievees along all streams that periodically in- undated their valleys would add tre- mendously to the nations wealth and resources.
 The first address of the day was de- livered by Representative J. B. Rans- dell of Lake Providence, La, on The Improvement of Navigable Waterways" He said in part:
 If Congress could be induced to adopt the broad and liberal waterway policy carried out during the past cen tury by France and Germany in im- proving al their riversa nd connecting them by canals, so there is first class water communication at all times be- tween all parts of those countries there are few places in the Union which would not derive the greatest benefit, few communities whose citi- gems would not receive each year in reduced rates of freight at least one dollar to two dollars for every dol lar expended in their waterways. Surely this would pay. An invest ment that would pay two hundred per cent year is worthy of speedy adop- ton.
 Far Behind Europe.
 Tn the improvement of highways and waterways, we are way behind the advanced countries of Europe. Tn most of our States the highways which permeate our farming, forest and min- ing sections are a disgrace to civiliza-
  ducts of field, forest and mine. The cost of moving freight over our wretched earth roads is fully twenty five cents per ton per mile, as com pared with 7.s mills per ton per mile by railroad and less than one mill by water. In France and Germany the wa terways are so marvellously developed that freight can be moved by water without breaking bulk from practically every part of France aand Germany to every other part, at rates les than one sixth as high as those by rail Let us emulate their wise example.
 purely when we are giving to war and its rewards S2s0, ,000, 900 a year, as.5O for every man. woman and child in the country. wo can afford to do m1ch better than 25 cents for our splendid commerce, which makes us the great commercial nation in the orld and annually pours into our laps a trade balance in our favor of S5OO,- GOO, 900.
 Let us unite with our brethren of the entire Union and bring about the adoption by Congress of a broad Iib- eral policy towards all the nation waterways and sufficient appropria- lions annually to carry on a wise and systematic plan of river and harbor improvement.
 
 the work of the National Rivers and Harbors Committee and assist in it's work.
 Following the address of Represen- tative Ransdell. c. l.. Irvine of St Louis, made an earnest talk on the matter O; river rate transportation The further discussion of the subject of river improvements was postponed until Thursday morning.
 w. D. Vandiver on Insurance.
 W. D. Vandiver, Superintendent of Insurance of Missouri, then delivered an address on "The Business of lnsu- rance from a Western Standpoint"
 Mir. Vandiver advocated building up Western insurance companies, saying
 'The twenty-three States and Terri tories lying west of the Mississippi river last year contributed to insur- ance companies $164,27O,OOO in premi- ums.
 Does any one doubt that the com. merciaI supremacy of the New York fs due to the capitalization of the tn- surance assets in that market more than 10 any other factor?