Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-17
TO UTILIZE THE
COUNTRY'S RIVERS
Appointment of a Commission
by the President.
MOVING NATIONS PRODUCTS
The Railways Are Found to Be
Inadequate.
STREAMS TO BE EMPLOYED
Comprehensive Plan for Their I'm
provemert for the Benefit of
All the People Desired.
MOVING NATIONS PRODUCTS
The Railways Are Found to Be
Inadequate.
STREAMS TO BE EMPLOYED

scented by numerous commercial or
CARNATIONS of the Mississippi val
lev. President Roosevelt has decld-
ed to appoint an inland waterways
commission, whose duty it will be
to prepare and report comprehen-
sive plan for the Improvement and
control of the river system of the
United States. Eight public men
have been asked to serve on the
commission, and Representative
Theodore T. Burton of Ohio, chair
man of the rivers and harbors COM
mittee in the last Congress, is to be
chairman of the commission.
In a letter which he has addressed to
each OF these persons. the President sets
out that he is influenced in creating the
commission by broad considerations of ma
tional policy; that the railroads are no
longer able to move crops and manufac-
lures rapidly enough to secure the prompt
transaction of the business of the nation
plete remedy, the development of COM
Elementary system of transportation by
water.
The Presidents Letter.
The Presidents letter in full is as fol-
lows:
THE WHITE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON. March IA. 1907
MY Dear Sir: Numerous commercial or
sanizations of the Mississippi valley have
presented petitions asking that l appoint
commission to prepare and report COM
prehensive plan for the improvement ana
control of the river systems of the United
States. l have decided to comply with
these requests by appointing an inland
waterways commission, and / have asked
the following gentlemen to act upon II.
shall be much gratifed If you will consent
To serve: Theodore f. Burton. chairman;
Senator Francis G. Newlands. Senator Will
liam Warner, Mr.. John II. Bankhead. Gen.
Alexander Mackenzie, DR.. w. ]. MCGEE,
Mr. F. H. Newell, Mr.. Clifford Pinchot and
Herbert Knox Smith,
Time to Consider the Streams.
In creating this commission / am in
ruenced by broad considerations of the
national policy. The control of our navi-
gable waterways lies with the federal gov
eminent, and carries with 1t corresponding
responsibilities and obligations. The en-
directed toward Industrial development con-
nected with field and forest and with coal
and iron, and some of these sources of
material and power are already largely de-
pletcd, while our inland waterways as a
whole have thus far received scant atten-
ZION. 1t is becoming clear that our streams
should be considered and conserved as
great natural resources. Works designed
To control our waterways have thus far
usually been undertaken for single pur-
pose. such the improvement of navi-
cation. the development of power. the irr-
cation of arid lands, the protection of low
lands from floods, or TO supply water for
domestic and manufacturing purposes.
While the rights of the people to those
and similar uses of water must be re-
spected the time has come for merging
local projects and uses of the inland waters
in comprehensive plan designed for the
benefit of the entire country. Such plan
should consider and include all the uses
To which streams may be put. and should
bring together and coordinate the points
Of view of all users of water. The task
involved in the full and orderly develop
ment and control of the river systems of
the United States is a great one vet it is
certainly not too great for us to approach.
The results which it seems to promise are
even greater.
Railways Inadequate.
1T is common knowledge that the rail-
roads of the United States are no longer
aOle to move CROPS and manufactures rap
IDLY enough TO secure the prompt trans
action of the business of the nation and
there is small prospect of immediate relief.
representative railroad men point out that
lie products of the nothern interior states
have doubled In ten years, while the rail-
road facilities have increased but one
eighth. and there is reason to doubt whether
any development of the railroads possible
in the near future will suffice TO keep trans
portatlOn abreast OF production. There ap-
pears to be but one complete remedy-the
development of a Complementary system of
transportation by water. The present con-
gestion affects chiefly the people of the
mississippi valley, and they demand relief
hen the congestion of which they COM
plain is relieved .he whole nation will
snare the good results.
Loss Caused by Flood.
While rivers are natural resources of
the hrst rank. they are also liable to be-
come destructive agencies, endangering life
and property. and some of our most notable
engineering enterprises have grown out of
efforts 10 control them. 1t was computed
by Generals Humphrey and Abbot half a
century ago that the Mississippi alone
sweeps into its lower branches and the gulf
HOOUu.1n tons of floating sediment each
year tabout twice the amount OF material
To De excavated In opening the Panama
canaD besides an enormous but 7unmeas-
uTed amount OF earth salts and soil mat
ger carried in solution, This vast load not
only causes its channels to clog and flood
the low lands Of the lower river. but rem
ders the flow capricious and difficult to
control. Furthermore, the greater part of
the sediment and soil matter is composed
Of the most fertile material of the fields
and pastures drained by the smaller and
larger tributaries. Any plan for utilizing
our inland waterways should consider
Hoods and their control by forests and
other means. the protection of bottom lands
from injury BY overfiows and uplands from
loss by soil wash tire physics OF sediment
charged waters and the physical or other
ways of purifying Them the construction
of dams and locks. not only to facilitate
navigation, but to control the character and
movement Of the waters, and should look
TO the full use and control of our running
waters and the complete naturalization of
oar waterways for the benefit of our people
a whole. S%
Questions to Be Considered.
lit Is not possible properly 10 frame so
large plan as this for the control of our
rivers without taking account OF the order
ny development of other natural resources.
Therefore. i ask that the inland waterways
commission shall consider the relations of