The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-16
CONGRESS DID GOOD
DEEP WATERWAY MEN ARE EN-
 THUSIASTIC.
Many Letters Being Received At Washington By Pres ident Ransdell of
 Louisiana.

Washington. Dec. 15-(Special)- Representative Ransdell. of Louisiana, President of the National River and Harbors Congress recently held in this city. is receiving many letters indicat- ing that the influence of that large and representative gathering is s)ready being felt.
 Information comes that steps will be taken at once to hold conventions in various States which the Congress here authorized the vice presidents for the States to call. in order to bring pres sure to bear upon Congress this ses- sion to make more liberal appropria- tions for the improvement of the wa ferways. The understanding is that these conventions will be called as soon as the commercial organizations are notified of the time and places for selecting the delegates.
 Already hundreds of applications are coming in for the printed proceedings of the Congress, which will include the full report of all the interesting speeches made. There probably is more demand for the address of James J. Hill. the railroad magnate, than for any of the others. This is not regarded as depreciating in any way !ne -Acel- lent speeches of the prominent Gov ernors who talked to the 1900 dele gates from all sections of the country, or the remarkably interesting address by the French Ambassador. who en- frightened the auditors in such a charm ing way by relating the wonderful ben efts that have been derived in his country through the canal system that was established centuries ago. and which has expanded until France is made prosperous by means of cheap water rates more than through any other agency.
 People were agreeably surprised that a railroad man like Mir. Hill could have made a speech in which he was willing to concede that the more the rivers are improved the better it will be for the railroads of the United States and com merce generally. he having candidly admitted that the railways alone are not prepared to handle the enormous trafac. To put it in MT. Hill's own words. there will always be plenty of business for the railroads. no matter how deep the rivers are made, and how cheap water rates may become"
 One of MT. Hilis strongest conten- tions is that a fifteen foot channel from St. Louis to New Orleans would bo more to relieve the freight congestion in the West than anything else that could happen. With such a depth of water, one huge tow boat, it is point ed out, could haul as much freight as thirty or forty railroad trains. This is regarded by many of the members of the Congress as Q very strong and con- vfncing argument why the proposed all water route between Chicago and New Orleans should be made possible. and 1t Is quite certain that the members from the States interested in the project are going to keep hammering away until they secure what was demanded at the Memphis convention. reinforced by the stirring appeais made in the National Rivers and Harbors Congress which met here.
 Your correspondent had a talk the other day with Col. John L. Vance. of has been foremost among the advocates of river improvement. He Is justly and naturally proud of the fact that the Association with which he has been identified for a quarter of a century or longer, Is the pioneer in the movement. to place before Congress the informa. ton necessary to secure proper appro- priations for the inland waterways. Colonel Vance has the facts and the figures to prove that tho Ohio River system originates and produces more tonnage than any other inland water way in the world.
 It is learned here that Col. Jerome Hill, of Memphis. and who was a dele gate to the National Rivers and liar bors Congress. has proposition he will submit when the opportunity presents itself, which. if adopted. he sincerely believes would stimulate water trans. portation. It is that $10O 900 be offered as q prize to any genius who would perfect plans for the construction of a steamboat capable of running thirty miles an hour and able to carry as much freight per square yard as a railroad train, the award of the prize to be decided by the United States En- gineers. To give such a prize it would cost only $3.oo0 for each State directly interested in the improvement of the inland waterways.
 Alfred J. Stofer.