New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1907-08-24
THE WATERWAY CONVENTION.

ANN" N'lS"'Ss 'apS y "a
delegation at least 100 strong
will GO from New Orleans to
attend the Deep Waterway Con
ventlon at Memphis on Octo-
Der 4th, while many towns in
Louisiana and Mississippi have
announced intention of sending
delegations. ohn M. Parker,
Louisiana member OF the Board
OF Governors of the Lakes to
the Cult Deep Waterway Asso-
citation, the organization under
whose auspices the convention
will be held, authorizes the fol
lowing statement as showing the
attitude of the people of the
lower Mississippi Valley
"Relatively, we are just rs much
interested in the improvement of
the Ohio, Missouri, Red Arkansas,
White aud Tennessee River as we
are in the digging Of the Chicago
ship canal to connect the great
lakes and the Mississippi River.
Our idea is to work III the interest
Of The general plan TO secure in
terual waterway Improvement on
the biggest practical scale, Once
a deep channel shall have been Sc
cured between the Lakes aud the
Mississippi River an Impetus will
be given the general plan tina, will
Prove very difficult to side track in
the event any enmlty should de-
vrlop in Congress later on. The
cheapest of freight transport, ton
is that carried on by water. Our
rivers are public property. The
Government collects neither toll
nor tax for the use Of them. n w
we want the Government to i'm
prove these rivers in order that we
may transport our freight aud
farm products in logical directions
free from the Inconvenience de-
Laws aud excessive cost imposed by
a railrod system which cannot keep
pace with the rapidly Increasing re-
qurements Of commerce
1.-THE Memphis convention which
will be attended by President
Roosevelt, the Ipland Waterway
Commission, some twenty State
Governors and about 5000 dele
gates will decide upon definite
policy aud a deiiuite plan of action.
Every State aud City aud town in
the Mississippi Valley will derive
a benefit directly or indirectly
trough the opening mp of the
Chicago ship Canal, for the reason
that project is merely a stepping
stone to the further improvement
of the river channel all the way to
the Gulf and to the Improvement
of all the navigable tributaries of
the Mississippi. Thus, every com
muuity in the Valley is co-operat-
ing to a common end. Interior
cities 10 Louisiana, Arkansas, Mis-
sissippi, Tennessee aud States fur
Their north will share equally in the
honor aud the profit for with the
Improvement of their streams and
the opening of the Panama Canal
will come greater trade advantages,
lower freight rates and greater
inflow of wealth, even the poir is
making no export shipments will
be benefited because the value OF
their home products will be in-
creased by the better marketing
facilities enjoyed by the exporters
"The value CT fleet of steel
battleships, engines OF destruction,
spent in waterway improvement
will go further in comenting
friendship and close commercial
ties than most folk imagine, for it
will bring Chicago and New Or
leans into the closest possible
iux,apositiou and make other ma
tons more dependent upon our
products
"The Great Lake steamers, mo-
dels 10 every way, the tonnage of
which is worth approximately $50,
900, 900, cannot now be used dur
ing the late fall, winter aud early
spring because of the ice. Ouce
the Chicago Canal is open, these
splendid freighters will be moved
into the Mississippi River where
all the year navigation will then
be available and the wheat of the
north west aud the products of the
north will be shipped on them to
New Orleans, thence to the mar.
kets of the world.
"Some day Pittsburg will ship
her coal, iron and steel products
down an improved Ohio to tide
water in the Gulf aud Kansas beef
will find easy steamboat transpor-
tation to its world markets. Boat
lines will pick up Arkansas cotton
from points now inaccessible.
1.-THE relative maximum efficien.
cy of railroad transportation has
in the opinion of careful stndeuts
of the situation, been reached, aud
railroad engineers now claim that
more than So ,000, 900, 900 10 cash
would be required to give the rail.
roads the facilities needed to han
die in an efficient manner the ma.