The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1907-12-14
s5oO,Oo0,0Oo
IN TEN YEARS
CONGRESS ASKED FOR TEN
ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS.
WATERWAYS IMPROVEMENTS
Yorciful Resolutions Are Adopted By
the Congress Which Was Success
in Every Respect. Attendance Was
Good.

III 6NCiy AkSoPCNs' SAssSHASN w 49,
Good.
Washington-An annual approprld
ZION of at least $j0,000,O00 for the
Improvement and development of the
waterways of America Is the glst of
the recommendations Of the Rivers
and Harbors Congress which concIud.
ed its session. No particular PROJECT
was advocated by the convention, the
recommendation of the committee on
resolutions, which were adopted, unan
imously, being that a national pollcy
for the Improvement of inland water
ways be adopted by the congress OF
the United States.
J. Hampton Moore, of Philadelphia
chairman of the committee on reSolu-
tions, presented the platform OF the
association as the unanimous Sentl-
ment of thirty-seven states, and he
said that the committee required the
approval Of the report in the hope
that it would receive the respectful
consideration of the national congress
The report Of the committee follows:
Frcful Statement of Facts.
"After a years consideration of
the aims and purposes of the national
Rivers and Harbors Congress as ex-
pressed in resolutions adopted by that
BODY in 1906, the American people
have given them emphatic endorse
ment by sending to this convention,
assembled at the national capital, De-
cember 4, ), and &, 1907, nearly two
thousand delegates from thirty-seven
states and territories representing the
commercial men, producing and con-
suming interests of the country and
these delegates are unanimous Of the
belief:
First-That profitable and sue
cessful commerce is absolutely de-
pendent upon economical transporta-
ton of commodities, and that the I'M
portance of transportation will IN
crease with the growth of population
and the developments Of the nation S
sources.
"Second-That the railroads of the
United States are now unable to han
die business offered them and much
loss results from the congested condi-
ton of traffic; that according to high
railroad authority, the business of the
country has increased over 1OO-per
cent. within ten years, while the ia
cilities for handling it by rail has
been increased only about twenty per
cent, and as the railroads cannot be
expected in the near future to Ia
crease their facilities sufficiently TO
relieve the situation other means of
transportation should be provided at
once.
"Third-That transportation II
heavy commodities by water on all
rivers and inland waterways is much
cheaper and usually quicker than by
rail; that no country in the world has
been so blessed by nature with wa
ter courses as our own, and that If
properly improved and connected by
canals, they would furnish a eonve-
nient means of shipping enormous vol
umes of freight, thereby relieving the
congestion on the railroads and fur
nishing cheap and safe transportation
for the benefit of the producer ana
consumer.
"Fourth-That the time has como
when the policy of the federal gov
ernment towards watersways ovel
which it rightly has supreme cali
should be more liberai, persistent and
continuous than heretofore; that a:
a result of intermittent action, mer
itorious works of Importance begdr
many years ago are still far from
completion; that appropriations 70:
rivers. watersways and harbors hav,
been mad. at intervals of three year
instead of annually; that for the pas
ten years they have averaged only
about 22,000,00O a year or less thai
three per cent. of the average annua
expenditures Of the government, an,
that enough money should be appro
priated each year, for at least th'
next ten years, properly to improve
the various rivers, waterways ant
harbors on plans, which have beer
and shall be surveyed and approved
by the government engineers and uset
by the congress of the United States
"Therefore. be it resolved by tn,
National Rivers and Harbors Congress
at the present session. containing de!
egates of every shade of opinion ant
representing every business interes
in the land, standing for a policy no
for project.
"First-That We earnestly urge Ia
adoption by the federal government o
Pact panouinoted