The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-05
NOTABLE MEETING
 HELD AT MEMPHIS
Waterways Association Takes
 Up Great Problem
VALUE OF RIVER TRAFFIC
President kavanaueh Emphasizes In His Speech the Necessity for Definite Work In
 This Line.

Memphis October 4.-W. K. Kavanaugh the Gulf Waterways association, called the second annual meeting of that body to order here today
 Delegates from all sections of the south. north and west were In Attendance, and several notable addresses were made. The slogan, Fourteen Feet Through the Val ley has become popular and every speaker went on record for deep water channel up the big Mississippi river.
 Among the delegates are governors of fourteen states. United States senators and representatives.
 Todays sessions were taken up with organization and speeches. Besides tho address of President Roosevelt W. W. Kavanaugh of st. Louis, Lyman E. Cooley of Chicago and Congressman Joseph l.. Ransdell of Louisiana delivered speeches. MT. Ransdell. who is president of the ma. tional rivers and harbors congress, said that the deep channel was a necessity. but the only way to get it Is to build a wise. generous, national policy of public improvements, which will rapidly develop to their utmost capacity all our water ways on the seaboard, on the lakes and in the interior
 The night session was devoted to speeches. Those who addressed the con- vention were: Governor Charles Deneen of Illinois, Governor A. B. Cummins of Iowa, Hon. E. F. Noel democratic nom-
 nee for governor Mississippi; J, T. Hara- han of Chicago and Isham Randolph. The subject of Governor Cummins address was "rhe Importance to the Commerce of the United States of Improving the Upper Mississippi River. Governor Deneen discussed Illinois and the Deep Water way"
 kavanauehs Speech. Governor Kavanaugh spoke In part as l follows:
 l Water transportation has always been ] q most valuable auxiliary to rail, and it 1 is now in/eed proper that the administra- | tive branch of the government should give 1 attention to the improvement of our na- l tional resources, for if the railroads can 1 barely handle the traffic of today, what may be expected in 10 years when this traffic, if not stopped In It's development, will easily be double the traffic of to- udy hdllTOduS are nOL dnldRO0lSllt 10 development of the country's re- sources.
 'rhe conditions of great delay in the movement of the commerce of the coun try has affected all sections, north, east, south and west. We therefore do not have to point to our motto that river reg ulation is rate regulation, and the many economical arguments that could be set forth for the reason that it appears that .1. -f railroads capacity of today and 1t is fairly evident that the growth of the country can not be taken care of by them. great awakening. therefore, has come to the people of this country, and while we formerly requested assistance of the powers at Washington. requested assist ance In the development of our great natural resources and of our inland water ways the people now have come 10 se- manding in no uncertain terms that these improvements be made at once
 Relief for Traffic.
 By turning towards the gulf the flood of export grain and other bulky articles. the lakes to the gulf deep waterway would relieve eastern terminals of the op pressve traffic and enable them to handle their shipments with reasonable dispatch and economy. and another essential point to be considered is that every dollar saved in the transportation cost Is added wealth directly to the people
 "The question is. shall we go on paying double and treble freights on our raw materials?
 Let us unite in our demand and ask that the officials of this government no longer delay the great projects which aIe so dear 10 the hearts of the people of the central west, and if it is necessary let us make it a national issue for l believe for one that the day soon will come when no man can be elected President who does not favor a broad national policy regard ing the deepening of our harbors and the improvement of our internal waterways.
 Let these great projects which must develop our commercial resources be handled in business-like way. Why should there not be a department of pub lie works having jurisdiction over all of tine great projects which are and must of necessity he fostered by this govern ment2'