The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-05

u ....iAs 81
was then presented 10 the CONGRESS.
Secretary T,oot was received with
ysrent applause. The Sscrctnry said tiin'
the riyers aud harbors policy Ny ths
Jtnitcd suites must be considered truly
ne d policy md not as q project.
He referred to the CONSERVATION OF t''f
Panama Canal aud TO the improvement,
ofFthe Eric cana, as instances showing
thet the Ainericantpeopln stand square
III behind The Improvement Of water.
waye, and he expressed the hope that
they would assert that policy In the
future.
Must Relieve COngcstion.
There IS no greater achievement,
ssa said than the transportation oi
articlrs which arc yalucless At one
oojnt 10 another point where they are
valuable. Tho railroads OF the country
,io longer are able physically 10 carry
The traffic or America, and the one
avenue open TO such traffic Is water
transportaiion' Secretary Root made
an appeal TO get facilities for CARRYING
American products to the American
scabourd lind for the upbmildtng OF
such an American merchant marine
rs would be able to carry American
products to the uttermost parts oil the
earth.
AT the cenci,;siou OF Secretary Roots
address. Joseph Is. Ransdeil, president
OF the congress-, presented in an adj
dress n report of the work of the
congress during the past few months.
He then introduced Nj. Jusserand. the
Ambassador OF France To the United
states. who spoke in part as follows:
I'VE hold the +. cord for the present.
said Ambassador Jusserand. You VIII
hold IT in your turn when the great
Panama Canal is finished. We turned
the first sod; you will turn the last
md no one will applaud more heart
ijy than your predec ssor."
What France is Doing.
The ambassador than reviewed the
history of the efforts made by France
in the Improvement of waterways ana
the resultant benefits to comm rec. TIE
ambassador said that the greatest eri.
of canal building in France is the
present. He said the aim has been TO
complete, 10 unity and to cheaper. The
rule now is to have throughout france
free canals as they have free roads.
Francis G.. Newlands. United states
Senator from Nevada, in his address,
applied old principles TO new condl-
lions. He said that the subject IN
Nolved not only the waterways, but
tllD fallTDuuS, anu tlltl ~ HiN'''h 80 -
tine interstate transportation companies
which are to be benefited.
Enormous Daily Traffic.
Martin A.. Knapp. chairman, of the
Interstate Commerce Commission
pointed out that the transportation In
tcrests of America exceeded s,oo0,oo,
tons in every twcnty-four hours, ait
that it was advancing every day I'm
less this traffic is able to be carried
he inquired, what possible use is thei
TO produce it? He pointed out that
was beyond the powcr--the physici
power--in railroads to increase thei.
transportation facilities In the imme-
diate future I'VE must look to an
increase of our inland transportation
by water If we are to be able to conf
pete with the other nations cS the
world In foreign commerce"
AT the opening Of the afternoon ses-
sion OF the congress the vice-presidents
and the members of committees on
resolutions and nominations were pre-
scented by the chairman OF the various
state delegations. At the conclusion
of the nominations j. Hampton Moore.
ri Philadelphia, was announced by
President Ransdell as chairman of the
committed on resolutions. and Edgar G.
Ellis. of Kansas City, chairman OF the
<. The credentials committee reported
1870 delegates from thirty States and
Territories had been registered. but
that the list was not complete.
L;lkes-to-Guif Project.
Chairman Ransdell then introduced
to the congress Hon. Cyrus p. Wal
bridge, of st. Louis, former Mayor OF
,hat city. who reviewed tho work of
the Lakes TO- the-Gulf Waterways As
sociation and the present management
Of the association. He said that the
work of the association was In the
( hands of twenty members. including
the Governors of several States. The
object was to promote the construction
II ship channel az least fourteen feet
deep from the Great Lakes TO the Cult
of Mexico. Such waterway. he said
would extend our coast line 1900 miles
Into the interior of the country.
lie held out that much OF this work
had been done; that forty-five miles
nlready had been eNcavated south
from Chicago, and that the State OF
Illinois WAS proposing an issue of 500
100000 of bonds 70 continue the pro-
oect
II hope" Mr.. wnlbridge said. that
the present Congress will adopt y
scheme III f<GYoE of, the appropriation
construction and-carrying into eifec,
OF this great project"
Gustave II. Schwab, Of the Nortll-
German Lloyd Steamship Company
delivered an address on the foreign
commerce of the United States In it,
relations to rivers and harbors. lie
said that the Importance of foreign
commerce in the life of nations scarce
ly could be overestimated, not only
because the prosperity Of II people de-
pended upon such commerce. but be.
cause the exchange of products brings
with 1t an intercourse that broade,ls
the ideas of the people and foster.
international good feeling.
He pointed out that the foreign com.
rerce OF the United States had devel-
ppcd woliderfully during the past hal
century. Forty years ago said Mr.
= schwab, the largest steamship en-
&tployed in the ocean carrying trade be.
tween New York and Europe measured
S.aS9 tons register. Now seventy sever
steamships, all from 10000 to 24.00t
tons gross register. are engaged in tn,
line of transportation between New
York and Europe, besides a larger mum
Der OF vessels under 10000 tons gros.