The Cairo bulletin., 1907-02-03
MADDEN SAYS WAR DEPART
MENT'S COMMISSION AP-
PROVES PLAN.
WOULD RECULA7E E RATES
Declare Several Congressm en--Rivers
Committees Experts Scored For
Reporting Against Value of
Scheme.


fight will be made in congress for the
deep water ways praject was made
apparent when the house had the NV
trs ana harbars bill up for consider.
alton today Several members from
the central west made speeches in
favo" of the project and scored the
action of the committee in neglecting
le people who live tributary TO the
fIississippi river
Several members declared that The
proposed channel joining the sani-
tary canal with the Mississippi river
would be the greatest and best meth
Oh that could he adopted TO regulate
freight rates and keep mp competi-
ton.
Madden Fights for improvement
One Of the pria cipal speech in
favor OF the deep water ways project
was that Of Martin b. Madden of Chi
cago.
mo expenditure of the peoples
money will in my judgment. produce
sdch telling results as that which may
Re used in the wise development Of
the country's interior water ways" he
said. by opening up this great natur
al highway of transportation the con
fastion of our railways would be re-
leved and the question of rate regu-
lation in the Mississippi valley would
Il once and forever be settled.
''Fhe committee en- rivers land har-
Ors has considered 1t wise to refrain
from recomm nding an appropriation
fer this project at this time for the
ason that no survey has yet been
, ade Of that por ion Of the project
leading from ST. Lluis to New Orleans
by way of The Mississippi river and it
Is their cont ntion that no autlay
should be made until the fullest inyes-
legation Of he feasibility of the plan
from beginning to end shall be demon
strated; ard the committee further
8 Iggests that, although the engineers
tf the war depar ment recommended
ne feasibility of the project between
hicago and St Louis, another com
mission selected al the instance of the
vers and harbors committee advises
hat it is not Of sufficient commercial
value to warrant the expenditure
Raps River Commission.
II am led TO the conclusion from the
statements made by the chairman of
tle committee that the action of The
committee is largely based upon the
report Of the commission to the effect
nat the expenditure would not be
'farranted by tho tonnage which
might be originated along the line Of
he proposed water way.
Il have the highest respect for the
engineering ability of the gentlemen
composing he commission On engi
neering questions, bit who is the
member of the commission who has
Lad sufficient commercial experience
10 warrant bim in deciding a great
commercig question? II can not be
said the a man as a $500 clerk in
lnusty Office in one of the depar,
men buildings. surrounded by the
tobwebs OF a hundred years having
had no contact with great public qucs-
ions fit to decide the wisdom of
IN exp nditure for the development of
grea, commercial en-. erprise.
what mysterious i1huence could
Rave been Used to induce the com
mission to report against its com
mercial value? The law authorizing
the survey gave them no such power
II provided that surv and repor
ahould be- made on The feasibility of
he project That was as far as the
NV authorized the board to 90. To go
further wa to assume prerc gatives
which the board did not possess. Tha
ssump'ion of such prerogatives is a
. surpation OF pove" that ought not
II be tolerated"
s25o,ooo Allowance 8eggarly.
Madden called attention TO the Cold
Cpring inlet. better kn7wn as the !
Cap May project in connection with
which s3l1.oo0 is appropr ated in the
iii for deepening the channel to a
: epth Of lf cen feet. and insisted that
mis- discrimination aGainst the Miss
issippi river was outrageous
Mr. Madden urged the passage of !
the ale- dment to the bin providing
ilst s5.o000oO be appropriated for the /.
of tn project and .
the limiting the amount it viii cost 10 !
81 0O .O0c
Representative Rodenberg Of nli-
no folio3ins Champ Clark. sid in .
support Of he Mississippi river pro /
iect that the beggarly piuance Of
S25006p given rh great river in this .
bin is wh iIy inadequate fo- cur puT /
nose. ahj when the time comes / will /
cfer an amendment raising the ap- 4
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