New-York tribune., 1907-11-27
WATERWAYS CONGRESS-
PLANS FOR CONVENTION.
Three Thousand Delegates Expected
IN Washington Nert Week.

Washington, Nov. 26-With the arrival here
o-day of J. F. Ellison, secretary of the National
Rivers and Harbors Congress. and the opening
Of headquarters in the new Willard Hotel, active
preparations were begun for what is expected 70
be the largest and most enthusiastic gathering
ever held in behalf Of waterway Improvement
The convention will meet on December 4. . and
6. and reports received thus far indicate that
between two thousand and three thousand dele
gates representing commercial bodies in all parts
Of the country will be in attendance when Pres
ident Joseph E Ransden. Of Louisiana calls the
meeting TO order.
Word was received to-day that twenty-five
members of the Oakland (Cal) Chamber Of
Commerce we're on their way TO the meeting
coming by way Of Galveston and New Orleans
Several other large delegations from Pacific
Coast cities viii start within a day or two.
The interest aroused by the Presidents utter
ances on the subject Of waterway Improvement
and by the steady campaign which the National
Rivers and Harbors Congress has kept up for
the last two years has induced not only the com
merCial organizations Of the coast and river
cities but many Of those in inland cities TO
take part in tho movement
The list OF speakers for the convention. while
not vet complete. includes representatives Of all
interests and sections. Among those who will
speak for New York State are Gustav H.
Schwab George Clinton, OF Buffalo. grandson
Of De Witt Clinton. the father of the Erie
Canal; Arthur Knox of the North Side Board
OF Trade of The Bronx. and Martin A. Knapp.
chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion Among the other speakers who have def
nitely accepted are five state governors-Deneen
OF Illinois, CUmmins OF Iowa, Johnson of Min
nesota. Warfield of Maryland and Hoke Smith Of
Georgia The railway interests viii be repre-
sented by James J. Hill and President W. w
Finley of the Southern
Other speakers will be Baron Speck Won
SternburG. Ambassador from Germany; John
Barrett, director Of the Bureau Of American
Republics; @. p Austin. director Of the bu-
reau of statistics Of the Department Of
Commerce and Labor; ex-Postmaster General
Charles Emory Smith, Congressman John
Dalzel. Of Pittsburg; Mayor Henry NJ
Beardsley Of Kansas City. John NJ. Parker
Of New, Orleans who was the Presidents host
on his recent bear hunting trip; Colonel e T.
Walbridge Of St. Louis, representing the lakes
10 the Gulf deep waterway movement; Albert
Rettinger. Of Cincinnati. representing the ONO
Valley interests. and John N. Stahl, ex-presdent
Of the National Farmers Congress
The platform which the convention will adopt
and urge Congress to make the policy of the ma
tional government will demand the broad and
comprehensive development of the coast and
internal waterways of the country under defi-
mite plans 1t will advocate the placing of
waterway improvements on tie same footing
the military and naval establishments, pensions
and the other objects for which regular pro-
vision is made at every session.
Congress will he asked to make an appropria
ton of NOT less than S50O00GOo yearly for river
and harbor Improvement instead of an irregu-
lar appropriation about once in three years, as
has been the practice. The rule that it would
advocate no specific scheme. but only the adop-
ton Of a general policy. was laid down long
ago by the National Rivers and Harbors Con-
gress. but it is expected that this years con-
vention will pronounce also in favor OF devot-
ing the rivers and harbors expenditure to works
of national Importance and against the scatter
ing OF funds haphazard among multitude OF
local projects. Such. at least. is the policy
which in the opinion Of most of its members
ought TO be adopted co-ordinately with that Of
making regular and definite appropriations
In support Of their demands for these changes
in The nations policy toward it's waterways, the
advocates of improvement are pointing TO sta
tistics showing the tremendous saving OF trans
portation by water over transportation by rail
and to the results of the policy, or lack of pol
lev hitherto in force Some of these latter
curious as well as forcible in their illustrations
Of the uncertainty Of progress under the policy
that has prevailed in the past.
on the Harlem River. for instance within the
limits of New York City itself a plan Of i'm
provement TO cost 81. 100000 was begun twenty
eight years ago To date S13JOOOO has been
appropriated by successive Congresses. and the
work affecting a yearly commerce of $780,
100000, is just half completed. On the Ohio
River a project for nlne-foot slack water naviga-
tion has been under way for thirty-one years.
and at the present rate will approach compile
ton in fifty years more. by which tirze. if
undertakings elsewhere make better progress.
st will probably be totally inadequate TO the
needs of the situation.