The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-27
Will Accompany Governors
Down the Mississippi.
Object of the Trip Is to I'M
prove Navigable Rivers.
RATES ARE AN ISSUE.
President Thinks Adequate
Waterways Will Solve Them.
Sixteen State Executives to
Be With Him.

President Theodore Roosevelt has
accepted an invitation to accompany
Governor Hoch and a number of 9TH
er western governors on trip down
the Mississippi river in n steamboat,
and it has been decided that the par
ty will start on October 8.
The object of ,he trip is to stir up
q lot of enthusiasm about improving
the navigable rivers of the country,
with the ultimate purpose of securing
big appropriations from congress Tor
this work A letter has been received
By Governor Hoch from President
Roosevelt in which the president sets
forth that in the improvement OF the
waterways lies the solution OF the
freight rate problems of the country-
Thus far, the governors OF the IoI-
lowing states have announced that
they will go with the president on the
trip: Arkansas. Florida, Illinois
Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine. rJls-
souri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Okla
homa, Oregon, South Dakota, Zen
nessee, Texas and Wisconsin. " all
these governors, together with the
president of the United states cross
the gang plank together and journey
down the Mississippi in IL body. II will
certainly be an excursion which Will
attract worldwide attention, ana that
is exactly what is wanted. "A BODY
known as the Inland Waterways COM
Louis is at the bottom of the l'lan,
but this commission arranged so that
the invitation to President Roosevelt
came I'm personal letters from the
governors of all the state above mem
toned.
Governor Hoch's letter to the pres
ident was brief, but called attention
to the fact that by honoring the ex-
csrsion with his presence. the presi-
dent would do much for tue cause of
river navigation. In mis- reply TO
Governor Hoch. President Roosevelt
says, in his "dehorned" spelling sys-
tenn:
Let me say a special word of ap-
probation of the invitations which
come from the governors of Florida
and Oregon. both of whom, although
the states of which they are governors
are not on the Mississippi river, show
their realization of the enormous inn
portance of improving this great ma
tional highway because of the benefit
that easy and cheap transportation
thereon will mean to all the union, and
because they believe that the improve
ment of the Mississippi river and its
tributaries will tend to bring about the
Improvement of the other navigable
waters of the country, as factors in
commercial and industrial develop
ment. and as affording one of the best
possible meth DDS of regulating rail-
road rates. Others of the governors
who write dwell upon the fact that the
people of the west feel a peculiar in
terest in the project of the improve
ment not only of the Mississippi, but
of other navigable rivers fitted to be
public highways of commerce, because
they think that such improvements
will help toward the solution of many
of the problems attached to railway
transportation.
'sUnIess something unforeseen oc-
ours to alter my plans. intend to ac-
company the members of the inland
waterways commission on three or four
days trip at the beginning of next
October down the Mississippi river,
from some point in middle Illinois or
Iowa to Memphis.