The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-03-21
TO THE WATERWAYS
President Roosevelt Finally
Turns His Attention.
ROADS ARE INEFFICIENT
Names Commission to lr auqurate
Plans for River TRANSPORTATION.
Writes Letter Exoiaining
Work to Be Doue.

Complying With petitions presented
By numerous commercial org{Hza
>tions of the Mississippi valley, Presk
dent Roosevelt has decided to appoint
an inland waterways commission
whose duty it will be to prepare a
comprehensive plan for the improve
ment and control of the river systems
of. the United States. Eight public
men have been asked to serve on
the commission, and Representative
Theodore E. Burton, Of Ohio, chair
man of the rivers and harbors CON-
miltee in the last congress. is to he
chairman.
In q letter which he has addressed
to each of these persons, the president
sets out that ne is Influenced IN Great
ing the commission by considerations
Of national policy; that the railroads
arc no longer able to move crops and
nanuiactures rapidly enough to Sc
cuIe the prompt trs> saction OF ousi'
ness, and that there appears but one
complete remedy-the Development CT
:; complementary system of transpor
tatior by water.
The presidents letter, in part, is
as fellows:
1.-The White House, Washington,
March IA, 19o7.-My Dear Sir: Num-
erous commercial organizations ol the
Mississippi valley have presented pc
1itions asking that appoint com
mission to prepare and present corn
:prehensive plan for the i1lpl sment
and contro! of the river systems OF
the United States. I have decided
to comply with these requests by ap'
pointing an inland waterways conlnlls'
SION. and I have asked the following
{, gentlemen t. act upon 1t. l shaL
be much eratihei if you will consent
to serve: Hon. Theodore H. Burton,
chairman: Senator Francis G. NeW'
: lands, Senator William Warner, Hon.
John Fl l'ankhead, Gen. Alexander
Mackenzie, Dr.. ". ]. McGec, r. T.
Newell, Clifford Pinchoa, Hon. Her
bert kIox Smith.
"In creating this commission, am
influenced by broad considerations OF
national policy. The energy OF our
peorie has hitherto been largely di'
rected toward Industrial development
connected with field and forest. ard
; with coal and iron: and some OF these
! sources of material and power are al
ready largely depleted; while orr In
land waterways as whole have thus
& Tar received scant attention, 1t is be
: coming clear that our streams should
he considered and conserved as great
!, natural resources
'It is common knowledge that the
railroads of the United States are no
!: longer able to move crops and manu-
!; factures rapidly enough to secure the
s prompt. transaction CT the business OF
the nation, and there is snail pros
rect of immediate relief. Represea'
\: tatiye railroad men point out that me
products of the northern interior
:, states have -riout led in lcr years.
while the railroads facilities have n
: creased but cne:eighth, and there IS
: reason to doubt whether any develop.
i .ment of the railroads possible in the
near future viii suffice TO keep trans
nc, tation abreast of production. There
ay1.ears to be but one complete rem
edy-the development OF 4 compile
mentsry system cf transportation by
!. water.
ANY plan for utilizing our inland
waterways, to be feasible, should rec
osnize the means for executing 1t al
ready in existence both in the federal
departraent:s of " ar, interio: agricul-
tire and commerce and laior, and IN
f,,e states and in their Subdivisions;
and it must not involve urcnly bur.
dens ONE expenditures from the ma
tional treasury. The cost will neces'
sarily be large iii proportion to the
MAGNITUDE Of. the benefits to be con-
ferrcd. but it will be small in COM
harrison with The $4,000, 100000 OF
.capi.al now invested in steam railways
:. in the United States.
-. Personnel cf Commission.
Mr.. Rsnhhead has just finished MS
tenth tern, in congress from Alabama;
I. General Mackenzie is chief engineer
OF the army; Mr.. Newell is clcececi OF
the United States reclamation service;
{. Mr.. Pinchot is chief forester OF the
United States: Herbert Knox smlta IS
commissioner OF corporations; W. }.
: MCGEE is an anthropologist and seolo-
gst, formerly in charge of the bureau
! of American ethnology, ara formerly