The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-05
GREAT MOVEMENT TO AID
 THE RIVERS AND HARBORS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE l.,

The ambassador then reviewed the his- tory of the efforts made by France in the improvement of waterways and the resultant benefits to commerce. The am bassador said that the greatest era of canal building fin France is the present. He said the aim has been to complete, to unify, and to cheapen. The rule now is to have throughout France free canals as they have free roads.
 Another great work done in France, the ambassador said, had been the unfying of all the waterways such as the depth and breadth of canals. and uniformity of distance between locks. The 90 or 40 canals, he said, are now like one single canal conveying goods to all parts of France and to all her principal sea ports
 Address By Newlands.
 Francis G. Newlands. United States Senator from Nevada, in his address, applied old principles to new conditions. He said the subject did not involve the , waterways. but the railroads, and that 1t meant all the interstate commerce companies which are benefited. "Trahs- portation does not heed state 1ines," he said, any more than disease needs state lines. The present system of financial exchange is paralyzed by lack of uniformity. It is our purpose to standardize the methods of transpor- taton in order that we may unionize the sentiment of the country in favor of the largest exercise of the powers of the people of the country
 Martin A. Knapp, chairman of the in- terstate commerce commission, was in- troduced as one who could speak by authority on the question of transpor- tation of this country He pointed out that the transportation interests of America, exceeded four millions of tons in every 24 hours and it was advancing every day. Unless this traffic is able to be carried, he inquired, what possi- ble use is there to produce it? He point ed out that it was beyond the power the physical power-of roads to in crease their transportation facilities in the immediate future.
 Tt is not question: said he, "of rights of way, of locomotives, of gen eral equipment, but of terminal facl- ities of railroads. It has been found that capitalization of s150,000.000 per mile on Manhattan Island would be necessary to provide adequate facilities for the transportation of freight traf- lic. One-half of that amount would pay for the construction of the inn mense waterways of the country. We must make our profit by carrying our products to the nations of the east To be brief the situation Is this: Thirty
 
 this country, for instance, from Buff falo to New York via the Erie canal We must look to an increase of our inland transportation by water if we are to be able to compete with the other nations of the world in foreign commerce."
 Letter Frasn Carnegie.
 A letter was read from Andrew Car negie. expressing his regret that he was not able to be present at the ses- slons of the congress. The salient point of the letter was this;
 Instead of spending money on war ships to fight imaginary foes, we should spend it on our waterways.
 Senator Nowlands introduced today bill providing for the appointment or an inland waterway commission and for the improvement and development of the in- land waterways of the country. The blll appropriates $50 100000 to an inland water way fund, and provides that whenever the fund is reduced by expenditures De- low S2o0000 GOO the President may make up the deficiency by the issue or sale or bonds not exceeding in amount the dlf- ference between the cash in hand and S50,000,000.
 The President is authorized to cause to be made examination and survey Of all the waterways of the country: to appoint an inland waterway commission and to bring in coordination with It the ehSl- neer corps of the army, the reclamation service the forestry service, the bureau of soils the bureau of corporations and other branches of the public service re- lated to waterways and to appoint such experts and boards as the work may re- | oiire The commission Is required to make reports to the President and to | Congress. After examination, survey, es- | timation and determination of the feasi- l bility of any project by the commission, | if may with the approval and through | the appropriate service. let contracts Tor 1 construction provided the necessary moneys therefor are available in the ln- l land waterway fund. It is provided that | the prospects may include collateral Works 1 for the irrigation of arid lands, the drain- | age of swamp lands, the conservation or
 replacement of forests. the clarification Of l streams. the utilization of water power | as may be deemed advisable in connec-
 tion with the development of channel for navigation. Tentative Bill.
 1 Senator Newlands is vice chairman of 1 the inland waterways commission V or | which Representative Burton is chairman. | He states that the commission is not as | vet prepared to recommend Dill ana | that he has presented this bill simply in l a tentative way, with view to criti- | cism of the subject which will be useful l to the commission in making It's fecom- mendations to the President.
 Senator Bacon introduced a bill pro- viding a survey to determine the prac- ticability of building canal to connect the navigable waters of the Mississippi valley with the navigable waters of the state of Georgia. This project he stated had been considered F years ago, but the time was not then ripe for it's realtza- tion. The canal projected, he said, would be about 100 miles long and would con meet the Mississippi river with the Atlan- tic ocean.
 Afternoon Session.
 At the opening of the afternoon ses- sion of the congress the vice president and members of committee on resolutions