Omaha daily bee., 1907-12-05
WATERWAYSCONGRESSMEETS
Two Thousand Delegates Begin Cam
psign for River Improvements.
AMBASSADOR JUssERAND SPEAKS
French Diplomat Tells of Beneats OF
Canals In EqunIizinE Freight
Rates I'm His
Country.


WARRINGTON. Dec. A-Prominent offi-
cials Of the national government, governors
of states, representatives Of foreign pow
ers. members of the senate and house OF
representatives participated today In the
opening Of the convention OF the National
Rivers and Harbors congress. Nearly 20o
delegates, representing every state In the
union. were present II was not expected
that any definite or concrete action In pro-
motion az the prospects advocated by the
congress win be taken, but II IL hoped that
the work OF the convention viii 30 impress
the national congress now in session. as 70
induce II to make adequate appropriations
for the improvement OF the rivers and
harbors Of the country. II is the desire OF
the delegates to secure such action by the
congress Of the United Ststes as viii pro
mote the trade and commerce OF America
IT is not a special project that the oonven-
tion has in view but the adoption OF
policy by the r0vernment looking TO the
extension Of the transpartatAnn facilities OF
the United States
on behalf OF the national administration,
Elihu Root secretary of state extended
to the congress hearty sympathy In the
work which Il had undertaken and gave
assurance OF the support OF the adminis-
! tration in the conclusions arrived at by the
delegates. The congress VIII be In session
! for three days and the body viii be ad-
4dresed by some Of the most prominent
publicists and economists Of the United
States.
Secretary Root Makes Address.
The convention was formally opened at
10 o'clock this morning Representative
JOSEPH u. Ransdell of Louisiana presided
and J. P. Ellison Of Cincinnati officiated as
secretary. The session began with prayer
by Earl Cranston. bishop OF the Methodist
/ Episcopal church.
! Before the congress formally convened
President Ransden was presented with
silver-mounted gavel by the Upper MIS-
sissippi Improvement association. Mr..
Ransdell in opening the congress referred
70 the work OF the national administration
] in promoting trade relations between Amer
lea and foreign countries, particularly those
/ countries lying 10 the south of the United
States, and referred in complimentary
terms to the achievements of Secretary
Root in promoting those relations. He then
presented the secretary OF state
Secretary Root was received with great
applause, the delegates rising to greet him.
1T is a pleasure said Secretary Root,
"to extend TO you the interest and hearty
sympathy of the national administration
of much Misunderstanding and depreca-
ton and even OF derislon. Our people are
SO busy that the Inhabitants Of one section
Of the country understand little Of what is
| going on in other sections"
The irrigation Aehsne, Ar Root said
had been sought under eolorsUf river and
| harbor improvements. He felicitated the
convention on the fact that the river and
harbor bills OF this day were relieved Of
temptations of the kind referred to.
railroads Are Overtaxed.
The secretary said that the policy fol-
lowed by the United States must be con-
sidered truly as a policy and not as a
project. He referred to the construction
OF the Panama canal and TO the improve
ment of the Erie canal instances show
ing that the American people stand
squarely behind the Improvement of water
ways and he expressed the hope that they
would assert that policy in the future.
"In your last convention" said Secretary
Root there was some reference that we
should not cross bridge urtil we reached
It. We now have reached the bridge.
(Applause). There Is no greater achieve
ment than the transportation OF articles
vaiueless at one point to another point
where they are valuable. The railroads
Of the country no longer are able, ply
sically TO carry the trafic OF America and
the one avenue open to such trafle is
waterway transportation. We must move
forward or we win go backward. 1 see
American production handicapped by two
things-first. the great cost Of getting the
goods TO the seaboard and second, the
absence Of an American merchant marine" "
President Ransdell presented report of
81. . Nr-N
few months. Then he introduced NJ. jus
serand. the ambassador OF France TO the
United States.
France Sets Good Example.
I'VE hold the record for the present, +"
said Ambassador Jusserand. you will hold
It in your turn when the great Panama
canal is finished; we turned the hrst sod;
you viii turn the last. and no one viii ap-
plaud more heartily than your predeces-
sora"
: The ambassador reviewed the history OF
the efforts made by France in the i'm
provement Of waterways and the resultant
benefit TO commerce He said that the
greatest era Of canal building in France
Is the present The aim he added is "a
have throughout France free canals as
they have free roads
From lg75 to 1900 the traffio increased IL
per cent and It now amounts 10 over
3d. .0o0 600 tons. The investment is valu-
able because OF what II yields. Of what Il
helps. and also Of what Il prevents. The
best thing II prevents is the railroads
raising their tariffs too high. AS soon AZ
the railroad companies raise their tariffs
quantities Of goods ind that they can very
wei afford TO travel at a slower pace and
take the water route Our canals act. iT
way. as a kind OF rate bill. self-regu
} hating one.
Forests Absolute Necessity.
1T is an absolute principle-no forests, nj
waterways. Without forests regulating th'
distribution Of waters, rainfaIis are at One'
hurried 10 the sea hurried sometimes, alas
across country. After having devastated
the neighboring fields the rivers md them
selves again with little water and much
sand with such rivers how viii you feet
your canals IN AL seasonal Since our for
ests suffered damages which We are nov
bent upon repairing AZ considerable PAIN
and cost. a rver Ike the Loire has beer
entirely Transformed; II used 70 be the bes
OF waterways and II 10 now the river who's
iuundafiOns are most destructive. tn