Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-03-28
COMMISSION APPOINTED
Broad Considerations of National Pol.
icy Influence the President to Act
Railroads no Longer Able to
Keep Up With our Industrial De-
veopment.

possibilities. Its duty is to prepare
and report comprehensive plan for
the improvement and control of the
river systems OF the United States
Eight public men have been asked to
serve, and Representative Theodore
E. Burton Of Ohio, chairman Of the
rivers and harbors committee in the
last congress, is to be chairman.
In letter which he has addressed
to each the president sets out that he
is influenced in creating the comrus-
sion by broad considerations of nation
al policy; that the railroads are no
longer able to move crops and manu-
features rapidly enough to secure the
prompt transactions Of the business of
the nation and that there appears to
be but one complete remedy-the de
velopmert of complimentary system
of transportation by water.
The following gentlemen have been
asked to act:
Theodore E. Burton, chairman.
Senator Francis G. Newlands.
Senator William Warner
Congressman John H. Bankhead.
General Alexander Mackenzie
DR.. W. ]. MCGEE.
F. H. Newell.
Clifford Pinchot.
Herbert Knox Smith.
In creating the commission the pres
ident says he is influenced by broad
considerations of national policy
The control of our navigable water
ways lies with the federal govern
ment, and carries with it correspond
ing responsibilities and obligati'n MS.
The energy of our people has hitherto
been largely directed toward indus
trial development connected with field
and forest and with coal and iron,
and some of these sources of material
and power are already largely depict
ed, while our inland waterways as a
whole have thus far received scant at
tention. 1t is becoming clear that
our streams should be considered and
conserved as great natural resources,
Works designed to control our wafer
ways have thus far usually been under
taken for single purpose, such as
the Improvement of navigation, the
development of power, the irrigation OF
arid lands, the protection of low lands
from floods, or to supply water for Do
mestic and manufacturing purposes.
While the rights of the people to
these and similar uses of water must
be respected, the time has come for
merging local projects and uses OF
the inland waters in comprehensive
plan designed for the benefit of the
entire country. Such plan should
consider and include all the uses to
which streams may be put, ard
should bring together an6 coordinate
the points of view of all users of wa
ter The task involved in the full
and orderly development and control
of the river systems Of the United
States is great one. yet it is certain
ly not too great for US TO approach.
The results which it seems to promise
are even greater.
1T is common knowledge" adds
the president, that the railroads are
no longer able to move crops ard
manufactures rapidly enough, and
there is small prospect of immediate
relief. Representative railroad men
point out that the products Of the
northern interior states have doubled
in ten years, wnne the railroad facil-
tiles have increased but one-eighth
and there is reason to doubt whether
any development of the railroads pos
sible in the near future will suffice to
keep transportation abreast Of pro,iuc
ton. There appears TO be but one
complete remedy-the development OF
a complementary system of transpor
tation by water. The present con,
gestion affects chiefly the people Of
the Mississippi Valley, and they de
mand relief. When the congestion oil
which they complain is relieved, the
whole nation will share the good re
suits"
1t was computed by Generals
Humphreys ard Abbott half a century
ago that TIE Mississippi alone sweeps
into its lower reaches and the gull
4Oe. 900. 900 tons of floating sediment
each year (about twice the amour. =
material to be excavated in opening
the Panama canal. besides an enor
nous but unmeasured amount Of
earth-salts and soil-matter carried in
~o1uffon This vast load not or,fy
causes its channels to clog and finoc
the lowlands of the lower river. de
clares the president. but renders the
flow capricious and difficult to control
Furthermore. the greater part OF the
sediment and soil matter is composed
OF the most fertile material OF the