Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-03
HEPBURN ATTACKS MISSOURI
Iowa Congressman Says Any Attempts to
Improve River Will Fail.
STREAM IS NO LONGER NAvGABLI
Creston Statesman Insists that No
Steamer Has Assembled River for
Fifteen Years to His Per-
sonaI Knowledge.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-TWO hours were
spent today by the/house on the rivers and
harbors appropriation bill, speeches against
the measure being made by Mr., Hepburn
Qa.), Mr.. Clark (Mo) and Mr.. Keifer (OO.
Impressive eulogies were delivered on the
late Senator German of Maryland.
Out of respect to the memory of the late
Representative Flack, whose death was
announced, the house, at 4:05, adjourned
until Monday
Immediately after the approval of the
journal today the house resumed consider
alton Of the rivers and harbors bill. the
leaders realizing that If the decks are to
be cleared of legislation before March
and the several budgets passed to carry
on the several departments of the govern
ment until June 3d. 1908. earnest work will
have TO be done.
Representative Small of North Carolina,
insisted that II the internal trade of the
country is to be preserved. additional water
ways must be developed and present water
ways deepened and widened. He addressed
the house particularly in favor of two
hundred-mile canal from Norfolk to Beau
fort inlet.
Hepburn Attacks Missouri River.
! Representative Hepburn Of Iowa ad-
dressed the house on the project championed
| by the Missouri and Illinois members for
deep water way from Chicago to the gulf.
He made reply to Mr.. Clark of Missouri.
who, he said, wanted to build water way
1900 miles in extent between granite walls
200 feet high. He had seen the Mississippi
river when Ave miles in extent with a
volume OF water that would defy the puny
efforts Of man to hold 1t. He characterized
the scheme as ''utopian and chimerical'
and declared that when the proposed water
way from St. Louis to Cairo should be
completed II would have a velocity OF from
twenty to twenty-five miles an hour.
THAT would be admirable for downstream
navigation" he said, but asked, How
would vessels get up?"
when you take out the sandbars and the
sinuoslties from a river you increase its
current enormously. making 1t practically
impossible for navigation" he declared
OF the Missouri river, Mr.. Hepburn sa'f
the sandbars and the bends in that strear
had made It absolutely impossible OF nav
gatibn, and TO his personal knowledge no
one steamboat had passed up that river
fifteen years.
I'VE have spent on the improvements
the waterways of the United States $4,000
900, and OF this amount nearly S140,0O0OCo
has been spent on the Mississippi" h
added.
His criticism of the bill extended TO p
general discussion Of the general projec
for the Improvement of the Ohio river, ir
which he charged that he had read some
where that the gentleman from Pittsbure
CMr DalzelD had said that the people o
Pittsburg wanted 100000 to complete the
project Mr.. Dalzell interrupted TO say
that "the gentleman from Pittsburg'' had
made no such statement and said that he
had not asked either for $S0O.0oOOO0. thirty
million or three millions.
Then. l assume that you don't want it,"
replied Mr.. Hepburn. but that the other
fellows from Pittsburg do"
Steamboat Thing of Past.
Mr.. Hepburn said that the steamboat as
a mode OF transportation was a thing OF
the past and II was his belief that double
track railroad would have cheaper carry
ing capacity per mile than the Hennepin
| canal
Mr. Hepburn's attack on the rivers and
harbors bill was followed closely by the
house. there being little attempt to inter
/ rupt.
Mr.. Hepburn gave notice Of an amend
ment he intended TO offer 20 limit the ex-
penditure OF the appropriations for the Mis-