Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-10-03
CHEERING LASTS FOR MINUTES,
Speech Fully In Accord With Movement
to Improve Lakes to Gulf Route
The Journey Resumed.

artificial waterway. Il canal-the famous
500. The commerce that passes throuSl IN
the 500 far SurpasSeS in bulk and in value
that of the SucZ Canal
From every standpoint it is desirable,
for the nation to join in improving the
greatest system of river highways within
It's borders. a system second only in I'M
pOrt:,nce to the highway afforded by the
Great Lakes; the highways of the Missis-
sipri and its great tributaries. such as the
Missouri and Ohio. This river system
traversrs too many States to render it
possible to leave merely to the States the.
task OF fitting it for the greatest use of
which it is capable. 1t is emphaiicaliy Il
national task. for this great river system
is itself one of our chief national assets.
Within the last few years there has been
an awakening in this country to the need
of both the conservation and the develop
mcnt of our national resources under the
supervision of and by the aid Of tile Fed
eral Government. This is especially true
of all that concerns our running waters
ON the mountains from which tn" springs
start we are now endea VorinE to preserve
the forests which regulate the wdter-Sup-
ply and prevent too startling variations
between droughtS and freshets. Below
the mountains. III the high dry regions
of the western plains. we cndC"vor to
secure the proper utilization OF the waters
for irrigation. This is at the sources q: tho
streams. Farther down. where they
become EaViSable, our aim must lie to try
to develop q policy which shall secure the
utmost advantage from the naviEable
waters. Finally. on the lower courses Of
The Mississippi. the Nation should do its
fun share in the work of levee building;
and. Incidentally to its purpose OF serving
navieation, this will also prevent the ruin
of alluvi;l! lotions by floods Our knowl-
cdgr is not sufficiently far advanced 10
tn3'lr me to speak definitely as to the
PLANS Whit II should he adopted: but let M
say one word of warning: The danger of
entering on any such scheme lies in the
adoption Of impossible and undesirable
plans, plans the adoption of which means
an outlay of money eXtravagant beyond
~! p:opor ton to the return. or which.
though feasible. are not. relatively to other
plans, Of an Importance which warrant
their adoption. 1t will not h. easy to
secure the assent of n Fundamentally
cautions people like our own to the adop-
ton Of sue II a policy as that hope to see
adorted: and even if we begin to follow
out such Il policy it certainly will not be
perSeNcred in if it is found to entail rerk-
less eNtraVa"&nre or to he tainted with
iolbciY. The interests of the Nation as
Il whole must he always the first con-
SideratiCn.
This is properly national movement.
because all interstate and foreign cont
mcrce. and the improvements and meth
DDS of carrying it on, are subjects for ma
tional action. Moreover. while of course
the matter Of the Improvement of the
Mississippi River and its tributaries is
on" which especially concerns the great
middle portion of our country. the region
between the Aleghenies and the Rock
les. vet it is of concern to the rest of tho
county also. for il can not too often he
said that whatever is really beneficial
to one part of our country is ultimately
of benefit to the whole. Exactly rs il Is
4 good thing far the interior of our
Continued on Page Fivel