The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-10-04
ARRIVES IN ST.lOU|S
President Roosevelt Enthusi-
astiCaIyI CheeTed
DISCUSSES THE RAILWAYS
The Nations Duty to Control In
terstate Railroads
Says Government Should Restore
Mississippi River to its Proper
Place as a Great Artery of Com
merCe-Warned Against Extrava-
gance i'm Plans, But Urged Liberal
Waterways Policy

st. Louis, Mo, October 2-President
Roosevelt in speech today declared it
the nations duty to control centrally
interstate railroads and to restore the
a great artery of commerce. He termed
the proposed 14-foot channel from the
Lakes to the Gulf a national task. He
warned against plans which might en-
tail reckless extravaganza or be tainted
with jobbery, but urged liberal water
ways policy.
A tremendous cheering and whist
ling greeted the chief executive when
the steamer Mississippi entered SAINT
Louis harbor to make the first stop
on the voyage from Keokuk TO Mem
nhis. where President Roosevelt Will
attend the convention of the deep water
ways association on Friday
Through a sudden, heavy doWhpouF
of rain. the president, standing III an
omen carriage and bowling TO the mu'-
titndes, was driven to the Jal Alai
building, five miles from the ple''
where he delivered his speech.
II is very real pleasure 10 auui eSS
+bie hodv of citizens of Missouri mere
in the great city of st. LOUIS.
have often visited st. Louis before
hut always by rail. Now | am VlslIlhS
If in the course of a trip DE "d'eA'
trip on the great natural hlSn"'!
which runs past your very doorS-"
iY1oTS
most abandoned, which hope this Nd
tion will see not only restored 70 an
its former usefulness, but given lar
Greater degree of usefulness to CORES
nond with the extraordinary gro"tn
in wealth and population OF the MS
sissippi Valley. We have llved IN du
era Of phenomenal railroad bulioinS.
AS routes for merchandise, the lrou
highways have completely suppiant-
ed the old wagon roads, and under
their competition the Importance Oh
the water highways has been much ol-
minished. The growth OF the railway
system has been rapid all over Ino
world, but nowhere so rapid as IN Cilc
Tinted States. Accompanying thls
there has grown in the United states
tendency toward the practically COM
nlete abandonment Of the system OF
water transportation. Such tendency
is certainly not healthy and am con-
yinced that it will not be permanent.
| There are many classes OF commodl-
ties. especially those which are per-
| ishabIe in their nature and where the
value is high relatively to the bulE,
which will always be carried by rail-.
| But bulky commodities which are not
of a perishable nature will always
be specially suited for the conditions
of water transport. To illustrate the
! truth of this statement it would only
! be necessary to point to the use or the
canal systems in many countries OF
| the Old World; but it can be illus
J trated even better by what has hap
Dened nearer home The Great Lakes
offer a prime example Of importance
| of a good water highway for mer-
camille traffic. AS the line Of traihc
runs through lakes, the conditions are
in some respects different from what
must obtain on even the most import
ant river. Nevertheless, it is we'll 10
remember that very large part or
this traffic is conditioned upon an ar
tificial waterway, a canal-the ia
nous 500. The commerce that passes
through the 500 far surpasses In bulk
and in value that OF the Suez canal.
From every standpoint it is desirable
for the nation TO join in improving the
greatest system Of river highways
within its borders, a system second
only in importance to the highway
afforded by the Great Lakes; the high
ways of the Mississippi and its grea
tributariese, such as the Missouri ant
Ohio. This river system traverses tot
many states to render ii possible =
leave merely TO the states the tasl
of fitting it for the greatest use o
which it is capable. It Ia emphatical
~ a national task. for this great sys
tenn is itself one Of our chief nationa
assets Within the last few years fher
has been an awakening IN this coun