The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-12-14
3 cHARI.Ds =. ARTHuR


= Telnbors ~ both houses OF cungres8
are seriously conBideEIng soma q the
facts brouREt out during TIE MEETING
p ~ riyGra ana haFbors congress On
tlIlE city. A. has been stated IN these
dfeIafche NE congress - OndOaNoC-
frSS "a create sentiment which shan
lrinR abouE regular annual appEoprt-
afi6nB for rRVor and haRbor improve
uaent Under the present lyBtem I'M
DoFtaut projecte which are well On the
way 70 completion gometlme8 gpnee
material deterioration bOcau9e O the
6aiiure Of fhe national IegislatuEo 20
6urniah me nnuney necessary 70 the
eontfnuati0n oe Work On them. Or
dinarily only one river ana harboe biu
Fs nasSed BY each congress, and then
the amount appropriated, Intending au-
ti,or4Sationa for future contracts. 70 sell
dom largely In e1eess of the sum
which the rivers and harbors congress
wishes TO have made available each
wear. $4,000! 600. The voting of axed
annual sum, it Is argued, would pre-
vent any possibility Of '1og rolling on
the mart of members OF the senate ana
house and would make It certain that
a project once begun would be pushed
to speedy completion. Only In this
way. the promoters Of the movement
assert, can the best results be attained
Would Affect Railroad Rates.
The PRINCIPAL argument in favor of
General Improvement Of rivers and
barbors is that it would have the in
evitable effect of reducing railroad
freight rates The railroads have alto
r,ether too much of a monopoly, 1t is al
legged. II water competition is made
feature of the transportation problem
everywhere the railroads would have to
bring their rates down to more
eouItabIe basis. One of the directors
Of the rivers and harbors congress, s.
w. s. Duncan of Dallas Tex. caused
a decided stir during the meeting by
declaring that the average rates charg-
ed by railroads all over the country
are much higher than Is indicated by
officiaI statistics. Such statistics show
that the average rate throughout the
United States IS IS mills per ton per
mile. and Mr.. Duncan asserted that
this was absolutely ridiculous. In
stead of the figure named the railroads
were getting an average OF 2 to 213
cents per ton per mile, he contended,
and he presented figures which the
delegates to the congress seemed to
accept as conclusive. Naturally any
argument in favor Of lower railroad
rates is generally popular, and the pro-
meters OF the movement for fixed an
nual appropriations think this VIII
help them in securing what they want.
Help TO Keep Surplus Down.
The fact that the treasury surplus is
growing is also expected to assist the
rivers and harbors advocates. as that
makes 1t possible for them to argue
that it is much better to spend money
on internal Improvements Intended to
benefit commerce generally than to let
h nile up in the treasury. where 1t
must lie idle and do no possible good.
The president, who received the dele
gates to the congress during their stay
in the capital. spoke very encouraging
IN of their work Il have come to feel
4 growing sense of the Importance of
essta blishing Il far reaching, coherent
plan for the general Improvement oil
the waterways OF the country" he told
them, aud, while he did not definitely
commit himself to the Idea advanced
Ivy them, he left them with the impress
sion that he could be depended on TO
assist in the movement. The rivers
and harbOrs committee Of the house Is
now engaged in preparing a bill which
will be passed before the 4th of next
DEATH" us senator Carter of Montana
did Ave years agO.
Democrats After 6onaparto.
Democratic members Of congress are
bringing up statements made by
Charles ]. Bonnparte in speech de-
livered at Chicago seven years ago,
which, they claim, indicate that he Is
not the proper person to be at the head
Of the department of justice. Mr..
Bonaparte is just changing from the
position of secretary Of the navy In
president Roosevelt's cabinet to that
OF attorney general Among other
things, AIR. Bonnparte said In the
speech referred to: 81 am not how.
ever. prepared to say that this tend
ency Coward business comblnatons)
lis harmful It has good side and u
bad side. and there Is the less reason
to make up our minds as to It's merits
because. whatever we may think. we
cannot prevent It, except at the price
OF liberty aud civilization. En-.
pha tIcully, no Legislative action IN re-
straint OF combinations I : IS desira-
BILE. Our public men with. 1 need not
say. some honorable exceptions) are
wholly unfit to deal with any such
matters The attempt win be highly
deInoralIzlng to all concerned. the prac-
teal results Except in the levy OF
bIackmaiD altogether nugatory" The
Democrats assert that man entertain
ing such views is not the right one to
enforce antitrust legislation.
ulneIudIn' do Whites"
An old negro NANNY who Is EN-,
nloyed as cook by prominent con-
rressrnnn was asked what the popula-
tion of Warrington Is. "Includin de