The Cairo bulletin., 1907-05-19
ROOSEVELT PLANS
TO SEE THE RIVER
ANSWERS LETTERS or GOVERN
ORS SAYING HE INTENDS TO
TAKE THE TRIP.
WILL STOP AT CAIRO
And Make Address According to Un
official eport--President Sees
Need of Great Waterway
and VIII Aid Project.

Washington d. c. May 18.-Presi
dent Roosevelt intends if possible to
make a three or four days trip next
fall down the Mississippi river. from
some point in middle Illinois or Iowa
10 Memphis. II will, if made be with
members of the Inland Wa erways
commission
President Roosevelt VIII leave his
summer home at Oyster Bay in time
TO be at Canton, Ohio, to attend the
ment on September 30. and the voyage
down the Mississippi viii. If nothing
prevents, Immediately follow that
event.
Although the presidents letter gives
no hint of the plans OF the proposed
trip it is unoffieially announced that
he will leave ST. Louis on a U. S.
Steamer and go to Memphis. stopping
cnly at Cairo, H., for few hours,
where he will probably make an adj
dress. 1t Is also announced that he
viii attend and address the rivers and
harbors gathering at Memphis.
The president has been strongly
urged TO make the trip because of the
opportunity it will afford to acquaint
himself personally with the import |
ance Of the work the inland water |
ways commission has In hand.
Many Governors Urge Trip.
Recently he received an urgent in
vltation to do 50 from a number of |
governors in various parts of The coun-
try who referred TO the great inter
est the president has taken in the
improvement of the Mississippi and
Its tributaries which would solve /
many OF the perpexing problems now
attaching TO railway transportation
Responsive 10 the invitations from
the governors the president has sent
each one an identical letter as fol
lows:
Il have received the invitations
kindly sent 70 me through the govern
crs Of Arkansas, Florida Illinois
Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana Maine Mis-
souri,, Nebraska North Dakota. Okla =,
homa Oregon South Dakota, Ten :
nesse, Texas and Wisconsin. asking
me to accompany the inland water =
ways commission for trip on the
Mississippi so that | may personally
familarize myself with certain fea-
lures of the situation which the com
mission has been appointed to con- +
slider. | deeply appreciate these in. h
vtations q
Nation Realizes Importance. II
let me say special word of ap.
probation of the invitations which
come from the governors of Maine,
Florida and Oregon, all of whom. al
though the states of which they are |
governors are not on the Mississippi,
show their realization of the enormous
Importance of improving this great
national highway because of the ben
eft that easy and cheap transporta-
ton theron will mean to all the union,
and because they believe that inn %
provement of the Mississippi and its
provement of other navigabe waters
of the country. as factor in CONNER
cial and industrial development, and
as affording one of the best possible
methods of regulating railway rates. W
Others of the governors who have m
written me dwell upon the fact that ri
the people of the west feel peculiar "a
interest in the prc ject of the improve o,
ment not only of the Mississippi. but W,
Of other nayigable rivers fitted to be ST
public highways OF commerce, be al
cause they think that such improve di
ments will help toward the solution If,
Df many CT the problems attaching 10 en-
railway transportation. ke
The basin of the Mississippi taken ca
as a whole. from the Gulf to the Great tn
lakes from the Alleghenies 10 the "a,
Rockies. constitutes the greatest agri-
cultural empire that men have ever -
cultivated and an equally great sys- v
EN- of water highways is needed to
supply any lnadequacy of land car
'iage for the products Of this region. At
Intends to Make Trip.
Unless something unforeseen oc-
,urs TO make me alter my plans
intend to accompany the members Of
he inland waterways commission on
three or -four days trip. by the be-
anning Of next October down the Mis- jar
issippi from some point in middle rur
Illinois OF Iowa to Memphis / feel wa
hat the problems before the commits ds
ion concern vitality Dot only the peo- Of
le Ct the Mississ ppi valley but the mi
,eopie of our entire country. and Hi
nything can do to forward the rapid sps
o. tion Of these problems and the bat
roper utilization Of our great wafer wa
Tays a am glad. indeel TO do" die