The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-18
INLAND WATERWAYS
SENATOR NEwLANDs SPOKE OF
 THE NEEDS.
Outlines His Bni Providing for Per- petuation of Enhancing His
 Plans--Means Much

AA0Mb--Mtunh NAuCn
 for the South. washingt Dec. 17.--Senator New lands addressed the Senate today on his bill for the appointment of per- manent inland water way commission.
 "The most important feature Of the bill" said Mir. Newlands, lis the crea- tion of an inland water way fund to be used both for investigation and con- struction. The sum of $50,000,000 is by the bill reserved and set aside as cash fund and the President is author ized whenever the fund is reduced be- low $20,000.000 to make up the defi- ciency by issuing and selling bonds up to the amount of s50,000,0o0. Thus the fund is always kept full. even though Congress should fail to make appropri- ations. "The President is authorized to make examinations for the department of in- | land water ways of the country and for l the connection of sucn rivers with each other or with the great lakes by con- meeting canals and by coastal canals In order to enable the President to make such examination and to instruct | feasible works, he is authorized to appoint an inland waterway commit | tee and to bring in coordination there- l with the services of experts in various l The committee is required to make re- ports to the President and to Congress or to either body of Congress, when- ! ever information is required"
 | Tt will be observed" said Mir. New lands, that the initiative both as to examination and as to actual construc- tion is put fin the hands of the exec | utive department as an administrative matter. It is clear that the judgment 1 of board of experts will be very much better than that of Congress upon such matters and that much delay l and confusion will be saved by author l izlng the prompt initiation of the work. Otherwise we shall have difference of view, both in committees and in Con- gross itself as to the details of the work. as to the relative importance of the projects and sectional differences will arise. only to be compromised by concessions harmful to this great enterprise. Congress should exercise I the fullest power of examination and of criticism; of course it has the pow CT at any time to change the organ ization or to stop the work All those powers should be exercised whenever wise and necessary, but the main pur- pose of the, bill is to enter upon the work in businesslike way just as a private corporation would do, and not to impair the proper administration of the work by unnecessary legislative | restraint.
 Equitable apportionment" said MT. | Newlands, among the several water way systems of the country is enjoined by the bill It Is intended that work shall be commenced contemporaneously among the different sections of the country in order that no section will feel that another section is favored at its expense"
 Senator Newlands declared that he | expects the government to exper@ at least $50.000 900 annually during the I f,t, T
 ways and was interrupted by Senator Reveridge. who said:
 The Senator does not mean that. ] hope"
 Senator Newlands: "Yes: that Is my individual view. In the next ten years the United States should spend at least $500. o00. 900 in the improvement of in land waterways. I think the govern ment should enter into this work in every section of the country; on the Pacific Coast. along the Gulf and along the Mississippi River. wish to say that that is the sentiment of the peo- pie"
 Senator Teller interrupted to ask In respect to one of the sections Of MT. Newlands' bill. whether he intended tc maintain the right of the general gov ernment to control the waters of the Mississippi River. MT. Newlands re-
 piled that under the interstate corn-
 merce clause of the Constitution, the Natnon has control over thees rivers for the purpose of navigation. and the
 States themselves can do nothing to these rivers that interferes with naviga- tion without the consent of the Nation
 Mir. Teller replied that the Supreme
 Court of the United States has passed
 upon these questions thirty times in
 the last sixty years. and it had main
 tained that the Nations right over the rivers relate solely for navigation and it cannot utilize the water for estab- fishing water power and electric light plants. He hoped that the Senator
 from Nevada would not involve this ques
 tion with matters that would joepar-
 dize his bill, IS he was earnestly desir- ous of seeing legislation on this im-
 portant subject.