The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-23
IMPROVEMENT OF
JAMES MAY Be SLOW.
Congress Will Be More I'M
pressed by Statistics as to
Freight,
FLOOD is WORKING FOR PLAN
James G. Blaine all Advocate
Of Opening This Inland
Waterway.
FLOOD is WORKING FOR PLAN
ny WAITER EDWARD nAnnrs.

NASHINGTL N, d. ca August Or
II will he difficult matter to induce
Congress to appropriate money for the
Improvement of the upper James. 1t
Is always a matter of more or less
difficulty to obtain appropriations for
river Improvement, and as general
proposition scheme OF Improvement
has to be before Congress for years
before the necessary appropriation to
begin work Is made.
The volume OF trade In country
contiguous to the stream to be Inn
proved has great influence with the
Committee on Rivers and Harbors
when 1t goes to formulate an appro-s
priation bill. A study OF appropria
tons made In the past Will show that
In the main; only the largest streams
have been improved. or that money
las been spent in building locks and
dams for those which run through rich
mineral or manufacturing sections.
The committee is not disposed to
figure upon what would be Accomplish
ed in the way of development by the
construction of the improvements. The
surest way to get an appropriation
for improvement of river is to show
that the traffic is simply waiting for
VESSELS to carry 1t to market. Millions
OF dollars have been spent by the
natiopal government In locking and
damming the Kanawha River from
Point Pleasant, where II emptes into
the Ohio, up to a point in the Kanawha
coal field. But 1t required long years.
OF struggling to secure the appropria-
lions necessary to the work, and IT
was only by showing the thousands
of tons Of coal being taken to GIN
cinnati every year by the railroad into
the Kanawha field that SUCCESS was
finally achieved.
While there is no question that
system OF locks and dams on the
James would result in wonderfully in
creasng the wealth and productive
ness of the valley of the James from
Lynchburg to Richmond, the commit
Get would be FAR more deeply Impress
ed were 1t possible to show that the
freight is already in sight and wait
Ing for water transportation.
This is not meant to discourage
citizens OF Virginia who propose to
make the attempt to secure govern
ment aid in improving the James. II
Is possible that a prolonged fight
would result, in the work being un-
t.eriaken But those who undertake TO
make the fight must not expect VIC
tory TO be won this winter nor neSt,
nor the next. but be willing to walt
indefinitely for the successful cnlmi-
nation OF their EFFORTS. -
Flood For Opening james,
Representative II. D. Flood. OF Nir-
giuia. has for years cherished scheme
- have the government provide slack
water navigation of the James. and
he may undertake to have Congress
provide for the work. James G.. Blaine,
who was one of the promoters of the
Richmond and Allegheny Railroad
which WAS the successor of the Old
James River and Kanaw1a Canal,
wanted the government to improve the
James. having said, on one occasion
that Virginia's contribution to the
Union. when she gave UP the North
west territory. entitled her TO have this
work done by the national govern
ment. Mr.. Blaine appears to have been
more deeply sensible of the debt the
Union owed Virginia than most states
men of his time and party and sec
ton since he was In favor of the
Federal government assuming the
debt of the Commonwealth. in return
for contributions to the national do
main. and was one of the few North
ern members of Congress VINO advo-
Gated legislation looking TO reimburs-
ing Virginia for money advanced in
1890 for the erection of the. national
capitol in this city.
But this is by the way. 1t will re-
Guire years of patient, persistent, and
wise effort to induce Congress to un-
dertake James River Improvement, and
this without any reference to the JUS
tice of the claims which the river may
have upon the favorable consideration
of the national legislature