New-York tribune., 1907-12-05
URGE WATERWAY AID,
NATION1L MEETING OPEN
Secretary Root and GwstaU Schzoab
Tel of Need of Action.

national government, governors of states repre-
sentatives OF foreign powers, members of the Sen
ate and House OF Representatives and leaders in
all walks of civil life in America participated to-
day in the opening of the convention of the Ma
tional Rivers and Herbors Congress. Nearly two
thousand delegates. representing practically every
state in the Union. Were present.
II is not expected that any definite or concrete
action IN promotion of the projects advocated by
the congress will be taken. but It is hoped that
the work Of the convention will impress the
nations Congress-, in session, as to induce It
10 make adequate appropriation for the improve
uient Of the rivers and harbors of the country. It
is the desire OF the delegates TO secure such
ton by the Congress Of the United States a. Will
promote the trade and commerce of America 1t
not a special project that the convention has
in view, but the adoption of policy by the gov
eminent looking TO the extension of the transpor-
tatIon facilities Of the United States.
on behalf Of the national administration Elihu
Root Secretary of State. extended to the congress
hearty sympathy in the work which it had under
taken and gave assurance Of the support OF the
administration in the conclusions arrived at by the
delegates. The congress will be in session three
davs and will be addressed by some of the most
prominent publicists and economists of the country!
Before the congress formally Convened the pres-
dent, Congressman Joseph E. Ransdel, OF LoulSl-
ana received silver mounted gavel, the gift OF the
Upper Mississippi Improvement Association In
opening the congress he referred toIhe work OF the
national administration promoting trade relations
between America and foreign countries particularly
those lying south of the United States, and re-
ferred in complimentary terms TO the achievements
OF Secretary Root.
SECRETARY ROOTS SPEECH
Secretary Root was received with great applause
the delegates rising greet him He said IN open
ing:
Il 5 a pleasure to extend 10 you the interest
ana hearty sympathy of the national admlnlsttra++
ton in your great wosk IL Ia ias 7eDTeciaIon and
syen 2I GeIS19n So One o.f eec.fo2 - the country
The people get their ideas OF the national ION
from the headlines Of newspapers, anu, d. m ,;rb @
nature things the newspapers present ,!'.s a. @
1 Of e IN the eT6 hataTal course eve noTa thing Of
the rivers and harbors bn mas oeeh n "te Tabit IF
ti,ne fnaf We have thought and consideration in
this matter that the people II the United 0naSTs @
NAV understand that The river and hafOoIS "oiA
IS a matter of great public poicF
Sacra-arz- Root related an incident of rivers and
harbors bill of which he had prepared d veto mes
sage while he was Secretary CT War mat OH
was talked 10 death in the Senate He SAID 'haI
81 the measure had been vetoed il would have oeeh
not because the proposed improvements were IN
justified but because Of the proposed Improvement
OF certain mountain streams which President NC
Kinley believed not warranted This irrlga-
ton scheme, the President said was sought under
color Of river anG harbor improvements. MI ROOT
CONGRATULATED the convention the tact that the
rivers and harbors bills of this day were relieved
of rernptations Of the kind referred 10. lie spohe
of the able and devoted work of Representative
Burton Of Ohio, the chairman of the Rivers ana
F5arbors Committee, whose achievements had peei
of the most able and painstaking character his
statement was cheered enthusiastically oy the col
vention.
Confirming the Secretary said the policy fol-
lowed by the United States must be considered
truly as policy and not project lie referred
10 the construction of the Panama Canal ana 10
the Improvement Of the Erie Canal as instances
showing that the American people stand squarey
behind the Improvement of waterways, ana ne eH-
pressed hope that they would assert that poIcy
in the future. He added
In your last convention there was some refer
ence that Should not cross a bridge ufli We
reached it We now have reacheu lIe DlLu5e'
n6f1s1on i Of srfcies Wiich are vaiueIess one
point TO another point where they are bi ,r1i
cally carry the traffic OF america and the one
ton We must move forward or we viii 90 DachI
ward This ParSuiaTrg & aP9iSf of ~ me ne foreign COM
merge OF AIlleT1ea see t- if .raaf cost Of
getting goods to the seaboard and: -iT SecoI0 '-7
Secretary Root in closing made an appeal for
ssilties 10 get American products 10 the Arneri-
can seaboard and for the upbuilding OF such an
American merchant marine as would be able 10
carry American products 10 the uttermost parts OF
the earth.
FRENCH AMBASSADOR HEARD.
Ambassador Jusserand Of France, the next speak
said in part
We hold the record for the present You Will Kill
: Finished We turned the first sod you will turn
the last, and no one Will applaud more Hesii 'i'S
owing TO the recent great efforts made by The
kf!5metres The total expense has been about two
billion francs. and far from coI3Sder1I!g thstt ~ -
too much we know quite We! t 1l-@i +i-n - 70 zine
FTcI ig5 10 isr the traffic increased 10 per cent
and it amounts 10 over thirty miilo9s; b.+ g
The investment is valuable because OF "!iat ~ II
yields Of what it helps and also OF WI %har II l[
raising tariffs too high as soon as 3 e ~
goods find that they well afford TO travel 1t a
slower pace a1d take the water route js III iiat
act in a way as a kind Of rate BILL a sei-reeuia'-
i sgGs orr forests suffered damages which we are
now ent upon repairing at considerable pains ana
cost Tiyer ike the Loire has been entirely trans
and s. Is nov the river whose inundations are
most destructive The question IS as el'Si a5 cS i
he no Won want TO have naVfgabe rivers or 90
W., 7refsr 10 have torrents that viii destroy your
crops and never bear a boat II you PTe@ler @ tls e
first then mind your forests We can tei you LOT
know.
Senator NeDlands. of Nevada said that the sub
SECT involved only the waterways but the ralt-
roads and that il meant all OF the interstate trans
ror,arjon companies which are 10 be benefited
TRANSFORMATION does not heed state lines, said he
ANY moro than disease heeds state lines The
present system of financial exchange IS paralyzed
bv lack af uniformity II is or purpose TO stand
ardze the methods OF transportation IN ofusf
thst we may uniouize the sentiment OF the country
n favor of the largest exercise OF the powers or
the people of the country
CHAIRMAN KNAPP SEES CRISIS
Martin a Rnapp. chairman OF the Intestate
rorr,nerca Commission was introduced one who
could speak by authority on the gueshon Oh trans
por:atiou Of this country. He said be felt that no
man could afford 20 keep silence when Crisis was
presented and he believed that such crisis was
Presented ~ this time. He pointed out that the
transportation interests of America exceeoeu
1eneo tons in every rwenty-four hours, and that
Err.Fae n 10 ~