The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-03-17
Presidents Letter.
Inc WnIle IIOust, "Wa shington. March II, 19DI

"My Dear Sir-Numerous commercial organizations of the Mississippi valley have presented petitions that l appoint a commission to prepare and present a comprehensive plan for the improvement and control of the river system of the United States. I have decided to comply with these requests by appointing an in land waterways commission and l have asked the following gentlemen to act upon it. I shall be much gratified if you will consent to serve: Hon. Theodore II, Burton, chairman; Senator Francis G. Newlands, Senator William Warner, Hon. John II. Bankhead, Gen. Alexander Mac kenzie, Dr. W. J. McGee, MT. F. II. Newell. Ntis Clifford Pinchon, Hon. Her bert Knox Smith.
 Tn creating this commission am in fluenced by broad considerations of na- tionaI policy. The control of our nav igable waterways lies with the federal government, and carries with it corre- spending responsibility and obligations. The energy Of our people has hitherto been largely directed toward industrial development connected with field and for est and with coal and iron, and some or these sources of material and power are already largely depleted, while our in- land waterways as whole have thus far received scant attention.
 Streams Great Resources.
 s.It is becoming clear that our streams should be considered and conserved as great natural resources. Works designed to control our waterways have thus Tar usually been undertaken for a single pur- pose, the irrigation of arid lands the pro- lection of low lands, the floods or to sup ply water for domestic and manufactur- ing purposes While the rights or the people to these and similar uses of water must be respected. the time has come Tor merging local projects and uses oL the Inland waters in q comprehensive plan de- signed for the benefit of the entire coun- try. Such a plan should consider and in- clude all the uses to which streams may he nut. and should bring together and coordinate the points of views or all users of water The task involved in the full and orderly development and control of the river systems Of the Onlted States Is a great one, yet it is certainly not too great for us to approach. The results which it seems to promise are even greater
 Unable to Move Crops.
 "1t is common knowledge that the railroads of the United States are no longer able to move crops and manufac- +urr. rapidly enough to secure the prompt transaction of the business of the na- tion. and there is small prospect or immediate relief. Representative rail- road men point out that the producers or the northern interioN states have doubled in ten wears while tl.e railroad facilities have increased but one-eghth. and there is reason to doubt whether any develop 1nent of the railroads possible Ill the near future will suffice to keep trans portation abreast of production. lhere appears to be but one complete remedy tine development of a complementary system of transportation by water. The present congestion affects chiefly the peo- nIe of the Mississippi valley and they demand relief When the congestion or which they complain is relieved, the whole nation will share the good re- sul.s.
 Control of Rivers.
 "While rivers are natural resources of the first rank, they are also liable to become destructive agencies, endanger- ing life and property; and some Of our most notable engineering enterprises have grown out of efforts to control them. It was computed by Generals Humphreys and Abbott half a century ago that the Mississippi alone sweeps into its lower reaches and the gulf 40o,ooO,o0o tons of floating sediment each year (about twice the amount of material to be excavated in opening the Panama canaD. besides an enormous but unmeasured amount of earth-salts and soil matter carried in solution. This vast load not only causes ifs channels to clog and nood the low lands of the lower river, but renders the NoW capricious and difficult to control. E,urthermore the greater part of the sed- inent and soil matter is composed of the most fertile material of the fields and nastures drained by the smaller and larger tributaries. Any plan for utilizing our inland waterways should consider eoods and their control by forests and other means: the protection Of better lands from injury by overfiows and up- lands from loss by soil wash the phy- sics of sediment charged waters and the nhvsical or other ways of purifying them; inc construction of dams and locks, not only to facilitate navigation. but to con ,rol the character and movement of the waters and should look to the full use and control of our running waters and thc complete standardization of our Wa tervavs for tie benefit of our people as a whole.
 To Frame Plan.
 ..It is not possible properly to frame 50 large q plan as this for the control of our flyers without taking account of the or ierly development of other natural re-