Free press., 1907-10-12
LAKES TO The GULF
Deepwaterway Convention Devel-
oped Enthusiasm for Fourteen
Feet Through the Valley"
EVERY SPEAKER FAVORED IT
Chairman of House Committee on
Rivers and Har5ors Outlined Pol
icy of Men Who Control
Congressional Action.

Memphis, Tenn. Oct 5.-W. K
Kavanaugh, OF st. Louis, president OF
the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Waterways as
sociation, called the second annual
meeting Of that body to order here
Friday.
Delegates from ali sections of the
ance, and several notable addresses
were made. The slogan, fourteen
feet through the valley, has become
popular and every speaker went on
record for a deep water channel Hp
the Mississippi river.
Among the delegates are governors
OF IA states, United States senators
and representatives.
Fridays sessions were taken up
with organization and speeches.
Besides the address of President
Roosevelt, w. K. Kavanaugh, of St
Louis; Lyman E. Cooley, Of Chicago,
and Congressman Joseph e. Ransden,
of Louisiana, delivered speeches. MY.
RansdelI. who ) president OF the Ma
tional River and Harbors' congress,
said that the deep channel was ne
cessity. but the only way to get it is
to build up wise, generous national
policy of public improvements which
will rapidly develop to their utmost
capacity all our waterways on the
seaboard, on the lakes, and in the
interior.
Hon. Theodore E. Burton, chairman
Of the house committee on rivers and
harbors, spoke upon the river and
EaIbor policy of the United States.
lie pointed out that the FEDERAL gov
ernment improves i.ers and harbors
and charges no toll, while in many
other countries. especially in the case
of harbors and canals, tolls are
charged. Ours, he said, is regarded
as wise policy because the cost of
transportation is diminished, and the
yexatious collection of tolls is avoided.
The proposition for the construction
of 4 14-foot waterway on behalf Of
which the convention was called, he
said, was rejected by congress last
winter. This did not imply a perma
| nent conclusion against the project,
the magnitude and Importance of
which appealed to ALL but there were
four decisive reasons why no proVis-
ion was made in the last river and
harbor bill-the proposed route had
been surveyed only as far as st. Louis,
and the work should not be under
taken until there was a full under
+ standing Of the feasibility of the route
from the lakes to the gulf; it devel
oped that a large water power, the
| estimated value of which would be
$4,000 900 a year, wound be created by
the waterways, and such being the
| case the localities especially benefited
should share the cost, and that over
100000. 900 of projects had been wait
ing many of them for years while
this waterway was not pressed until
last December. 1t would be unfair to
the rest to pass them by, and to adopt
new project not niaturely considered.
After dwelling upon the advantage
and disadvantages OF transportation by
inland waterways, Mr.. Burton said it
would better promote the public well
fare to settle the question according
to broad economic principles upon a
determination of the cheapest and
most convenient method of transpor-
tation National or state authority
could fix rates without the necessity
OF expensive improvement upon rivers
! merely to compel railroads to lower
their charges to reasonable figures.
'1n the settlement of this great
problem" he said, Eve must adopt
a broad and comprehensive policy
which shall give supreme regard for
all portions of the country without
partiality for any section and always
with an eye not merely to the demands
| OF the present but tt. the untimed pos
sibilities of the future. A policy
which shall keep pace with progress
and provide with liberality for the
needs of transportation is worthy Of
| the cordial support of all who have
regard for the future OF this country
| because in no other way can greater
| benefit be conferred upon every state
| IN this union.