The Washington herald., 1907-12-05
WATERWAYS HOST
DEMANDS MILLIONS
Continued from Page One.

South. from the East and from the West.
believe these sections exist, geograph-
ically speaking. but fraternally, no.
There is no North. South, nor East, nor
West. I am an optimist, not a pessimist.
believe the pessimist lives on an island
Of egOtism, surrounded by a sea OF woe.
1t was several minutes before President
Ransdell, who had called upon Col. Good
year for a five-minute talk. could restore
order, and the Georgian received the most
vcciferous applause accorded 10 any
speaker Of the day.
j. c. Welliyer, Of Iowa, a newspaper
man, who recently made a tour Of several
European countries in the interests Of the
dcep-waterways question. was the first
speaker. Mr.. Welliver said the great fact
which initiates against waterways and
in favor OF the railway Is that water, in
contrast 20 a railway, cannot run uphill
He pointed out that the railway has grad
ually eneroached upon the waterway, and
pas literally forced the men who desired
TO use the latter method of transporta-
tion TO change their minds. He said that
Germany, the waterways have been so
improved and are so protected by the
government that the railways cannot in
terfere with their commerce.
Protect the Waterways.
Mr.. WeIliyer said It would be neces-
sary for This government TO protect the
waterways of the country against the
railroads. and that this must be brought
about shortly II the United States is to
keep its place in the rank OF the worlds
commercial nations
Clifford Pirchot. Chief Forester of the
United Sta'es. was the next speaker. Mr.
Pinchot sa.a in part:
1T is characteristic OF any great move
ment such as this that il begins prae-
tically always. little by little. little
here AID a little there, until it makes
such meeting as this possible. While
you have been doing this work here other
associations have been turning over other
phases of this work. All these organiza-
tions have been acting independently. but
through them all there has run the un-
dercurrent of the same desire-the inn
provement and conservation of the ma
tion's resources
Mr. Pinchot said there are three great
movements in the United States to-day
which are closely allied. one is the
waterways movement; another is the for
est movement. and the third is the move
ment for making public lands into places
for homes. All of these, he said. are
moving forward together
This is the first time in the history of
the world that any nation has set about
To preserve the natural resources for the
Vneft of all the people. We are almost
on the dawn OF such a movement rs this
IN our own country"
Albert Bcttinger. of Cincinnati who
was one OF the prime movers I'm the re-
organization of the congress several
years ago, Was the next speaker. Mr.
BettinEer spoke FIRST Of the Ohio River
and the great tributary territory sur
rounding Il. He painted the picture OF
me great resources OF that stream. and
told OF the factories which lines its banks
Recalled 81 Banquet.
Then he told Of the time wncn In mis-
native city. in June 1865 the members of
the Rivers ana Harbors Committee of
the Federal Congress were bauoueted
there. He said at that time one Of the
members of that committee told the mem
bers of this other congress that the time
had come for agitation Of waterways i'm
provement He said that. acting on that
suggestion. the National Rivers and Har-
bors Congress had been agitatng.
Ii Is now time. ne concluded. for the
Federal Congress 10 learn that this agita-
ton has been carried all over the conn
try. and II is time for the representa-
tiyes OF the people in the Federal Con-
sress TO show why these improvements
shall not bc made Mr.. Bettinger asked
that any member OF the Federal Con-
sfeSs present come upon the stage and
argue with him why the government
should not issue bonds to compIete tbe
river and harbor work in the United
States, when it has done so in the case
of the Panama Canal No Congressman
however appeared to take up the cause.
and the convention appeared TO beIieve
they were all afraid.
The last thing upon the programme ~
the evening was a series OF pictures Of
some OF the great seaports OF Europe
given by Thomas S. Anderson. Of Boston.
hese views showed the great facilities
~ Liverpool. Glasgow. Hull. Belfast
h3vre, Hamburg Bremen. and London
Antwerp. Rotterdam. and other continen-
tai and island cities.
The Morning Session.
Several hundred delegates were present
at 10 O'Clock, when, in the banquet room
Of the New Willard, President Joseph E.
Ransdell called the convention 10 order
The prayer was made by Rev Earl Craus-
ton OF the Bishop 81. Z. Church. Sec
'etary Root. the first speaker. received a |
great ovation rs he rose from the plat !
form
Mr- Root began his speech by deprecat- /
Ing what he termed the unmerited criti- I
cism and derlsion usually directed toward
river and harbor appropriations.
The fact is, be said. that our peopIe /
are so busy in their own affairs that the /
inhabitants of each section OF the coun- /
Try understand little of the needs and
interests of people OF other sections we
take our ideas OF what is going on at 2 /
distance from our own homes through 4
'he most curs1ry piances az the head /
ines in the newspapers. and the news /
papers tend 10 present in their columns |
especially in their headlines. the worst 1
things that are happening in our country. 4
We sec accounts Of murders and suicides
ana divorces and sCandals-these are fea- /
'ufed ID the nowspapeTs-and 50 every
abnormal feature of the rivers and har- /
'ors bill has been made the most OF. and
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