The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-02
MUST BE CONTROL
President Roosevelt Tells Bust.
ness Men of st. Louis
That Somebody Must Look
After the Corporations.
PLAN OF THE FATHERS
Was That 1t Should Rest With
the Nation.
If Uncle Sam Doesn't Do 1t the
States Will.
UNWISDOM is SHOWN
By Railroad Owners in Oppos-
ing the Inevitable
Was That 1t Should Rest With
the Nation.
Ii Uncle Sam Doesn't Do 1t the
States Will.
UNWISDOM is SHOWN
By Railroad Owners in Oppos-
ing the Inevitable.
AcQuiescence Would Be Better
for Them and Everybody.

st. Louis, Oct. I'm his address at
this point of his journey down the
Mississippi, President Roosevelt spoke
as follows:
1t is very real pleasure to address
this body of citizens of Missouri here in
the great city of st. Louis. have often
visited st. Louis before, but always by
rail. Now am visiting it in the course
or trip by water, a trip on the great
natural highway which runs past your
very doors-a highway once SO impor-
tant, now almost abandoned, which I
nope this nation will see not only re-
stored to all it's former usefulness. but
given far greater degree of usefulness
TO correspond with the extraordinary
growth in wealth and population of the
Mississippi Valley. We have lived in an
era of phenomenal railroad building AS
routes for merchandise. the iron high
ways have completely supplanted the
old wagon roads, and under their COM
petition the Importance of the water
highways has been much diminished
The growth of the railway system has
been rapid all over the world, but no.
where so rapid as in the United States
Accompanying this there has grown in
fhe United States a tendency toward
the practically complete abandonment
of the system of water transportation.
Such a tendency is certainly not healthy
and 1 am convinced that It will not be
permanent. There are many classes OF
commodities, especially those which are
perishable in their nature and where
the value is high relatively to the bulk
which will always he carried by rail.
But bulky commodities which are not
of a perishable nature will always be
specially suited for the conditions OF
water transport.
Old World Canals
To illustrate the truth OF this state
ment it would only be necessary to
point to the use of the canal system in
many countries of the Old World; but
it can be illustrated even better. by what
has happened nearer home. The Great
Lakes offer a prime example of the Inn
portance of a good water highway for
mercantile traffic. AS the line of traffic
runs through lakes, the conditions are
in some respects different from what
must obtain on even the most important
river. Nevertheless it is well to remem-
ber that very large part of this traffic
is conditioned upon an artificial water
way. canal-the famous 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 with
in it's borders, a system second only In
Importance to the highway afforded by
the Great Lakes; the highways of tire
Mississippi and it's great tributaries,
such as the Missouri and Ohio. This
river system traverses too many states
to render it possible to leave merely to
the states the task of fitting IL for the
greatest use of which it is capable. Ii
is emphatically 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
and the development of
our national resources under the super
vision of and by the aid of the federal
This is especially true OF
all that concerns our running waters. On
The mountains from which the springs
start we are now endeavoring to pre-
serve the forests which regulate the
water supply and prevent too startling
between droughts and fresh
cts Below the mountains in the high
dry regions of the western plains. we
endeavor to secure the proper utiliza-
ton of the waters for irrigation. This
is at the sources of the streams. Far
ther down, where they become naviga-
ble our aim must be to try to develop
a policy which shall secure the utmost
advantage from the navigable waters.
Ievee Building.
Finally, on the lower courses of the
the nation should do its
full share in the work of levee build
ing; and, incidentally to Its purpose
Of serving navigation. this will also
prevent the ruin of alluvial bottoms
by floods. Our knowledge is not suf-
1ciently far advanced TO enable me to
speak definitely as to the plans which
should be adopted; but let me say one
word of warning: The danger of en-
-ering on any such scheme lies in the
adoption of impossible and undesir-
able plans, plans the adoption of
which means an outlay of money ex-
beyond all proportion to the
return, or which, though feasible. are
not, relatively to other plans, of an
which warrant their adop-
ion. 1t will not be easy to secure the
assent of a fundamentally cautious
people like our own to the adoption of
such a policy as that 1 hope to see
adopted; and even II we begin to fol-
ow out such a policy it certainly will
not be persevered in IL it is found to
entail reckless extravaganza or to be
ainted with jobbery. The interests Of
he nation as whole must be always
he first consideration.
This is properly a national move
nent, because all interstate and for
eign commerce, and the improvements
and methods of carrying it on. are
subjects for national action. More
1ver while of course the matter of ths
of the Mississippi river
md it's tributaries is one which espec-
ally concerns the great middle por-
ion of our country. the region be-
Continued on Page Ten.)