Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1907-10-04
THEY MUST Be MADE
PERMANENT OBJECTS
His Speech at Waterways Conven
ton at Memphis Dealt With
Principal Questions in Ad-
miniStrdtiOn of Nation
Shot at Corporations.

Memphis, Tenn, Oct. 4.-Thou-
sands of citizens and visitors throng-
ed the streets of Memphis today to
do honor to President Roosevelt, and
many distinguished men are here to
attend the second annual conven-
tfon of the Lakes to Gulf Water
ways convention which met at the
Auditorium rink this morning. Pres
ddent Roosevelt was scheduled to ar
rive by steamboat from Cairo at
p. m. but the steamer was an hour
behind the schedule. Preparations
on an extensive scale have been
made for his entertainment after the
delivery of his address this after
noon.
The president and his immediate
party will take a special train this
evening for the proposed hunt in
Louisiana.
Among the delegates to the con-
vention here are the governors of
fifteen states, United States senators,
representatives, noted engineers and
prominent men from all sections of
the territory traversed by the Mis-
sissippi river and it's tributaries.
Noisy Reception.
The arrival of the president on
the steamer Mississippi was the sig
nal for a great reception. Every
Hboat in the harbor used its whistle
and bell to the utmost in honor of
the nations chief executive, and 1t
was with difficulty that he hurried
through the crowd to the convention
hall, shaking hands right and left
and speaking to friends as he pro-
ceeded. His address was heard by
the biggest audience which has yet
greeted him on this trip, and was
applauded with all the vigor~of the
enthusiastic throng.
The Presidents Address.
Under any circumstances / should
WalpOmp NhnnRa
Memphis in the old historic state of
Tennessee, rich in its glorious past
and in the certainty of an ever great
er future; but l especially congratu-
late myself that l am able to speak
here on an occasion like this, when
1 meet not only the citizens of Ten
nessee. but many of the citizens of
Mississippi and Arkansas and of 9TH
er states as well; and when the chief
executives of so many states are
gathered to consider a subject of
momentous interest to all.
Waterways Should be Utilized.
"The Mississippi river and its trib-
utaries ought by all means to be
utilized to their utmost possibility.
Facility of cheap transportation is an
essential in our modern civilization,
and We can not afford any longer TO
neglect the great highways which
nature has provided for us. These
natural highways, the waterways,
can never be monopolized by any
corporation. They belong to all the
people, and it is in the power of no
one to take them away. Wherever a
navigable river runs beside railroads
the problem of regulating the rates
on the railroads becomes far easier,
because river regulation is rate reg
ulation. When the water rate sinks,
the land rate can not be kept at an
excessive height.
Year by year transportation prob
lens become more acute, and the
ly fit to serve as arteries of trade
should be provided with channels
deep enough and wide enough to
make the investment of the necessary
money profitable to the public. The
national government should under
take this work.
Irrigation of Arid Lands.
"Another important group of ques-
tions concerns the irrigation of arid
lands the prevention of floods and
the reclamation of swamps. Already
many thousands Of homes have been
established on the arid regions, and
the population and wealth OF seven
teen states and territories have been
largely increased through irrigation.
Yet this means of national develop
ment Is still in its infancy, and II VIII |
doubtless long continue to multiply
homes and increase the productive |
ness and power Of the nation. The
reclamation of overflow lands and
marshes, both in the interior and |
along the coasts, has already been |
carried on with admirable results
but in this field, too, scarcely more
than a good beginning has yet been
made. Still another fundamentally
important question is that of water