The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-10-04
WAS
ONE HOUR LATE
Urges Immediate Improve.
ment Of Waterways

hour today because of break in the
machinery. Immediately after deliv-
erirg his Memphis address Roosevelt
Will take a special train for New Or
leans.
An immense throng listened to Pres
ident Roosevait's address which was
in part as follows:
The Mississippi valley is a magnifi-
cent empire in size and fertility. 1t is
better adapted to the development Oh
inland navigation. than any o.her val
ley in either hemisphere; for there are
II 900 miles of waterway now more
or less fully navigable, and the con-
ditions are so favorable that it will be
easy to increase the extent of naviga-
BILE waterways to almost any required
degree by canalization.
Early in our industrial history this
valley was the seat of the largest de-
velopment of Inland navigation in the
United States, and perhaps you will
steamboat west of the Alleghenies was
built by Roosevelt, my great grand
fathers brother, in 1911, for the New
Orleans trade, and in that year made
the trip from Pittsburg 20 New Or
leans. But from various causes river
and canal transportation declined all
over the United States as the rail-
road systems came to their full devel-
opment. 1t is our business to see
that the decline is not permanent;
and it is of Interest to remember that
nearly a century ago President Madi-
son advocated the canalzatioh of the
Mississippi.
West Determines Development.
Already, as our history shows, the
litical development, and the runda-
mental principle of present American
politics, political equality, was orig
inally a western idea.
This valley being literally the heart
of the United States. all that concerns
it's welfare must concern likewise the
whole country. Therefore, the Missis-
sippi river and it's tributaries ought
by all means to be utilized to their
utmost possibility. Facility of cheap
transportation is an essential in our
modern civilization, and We can not
afford any longer to neglect the great
highways which nature has provided
for us.
Waterways Belong to ePopIe.
These natural highways, the water
ways, can never be monopolized py
any corporation. They belong to all
the people, and it is in the power of
no one to take them away. Wherever
navigable river runs beside rail-
roads the problem of regulating the
rates nthe railroads becomes far
easier, because river regulation is rate
regulation. When the water rate
sinks, the land rate can not be kept
at an excessive height Therefore it is
of national Importance to develop these
streams as highways to the fullest
extent which is genuinely profitable.
Where the Immediately abutting land
is markedly benefited. and this benefit
can be definitely localized, l trust that
see whether some way can be devised
by which the immediate beneficiaries
may pay a portion of the expenses
as is now the custom as regards GER
municipalities; and measures should
be taken to secure from the localities
specially benefited proper terminal
facilities.
Use Business Principles.
We should act on the same principle
in improving our rivers that we should
follow in improving our harbors. The
great harbors are of consequence not
merely to the immediate localities, but
to immense stretches of country; and
the same is true of the great rivers.
The industries developed under the
stimulus of the railroads are for the
most part permanent Industries, and
therefore they form the basis for fu-
ture development But the railroads
have shown that they alone can not
meet the demands of the country for
transportation, and where this is true
the rivers should begin to supple
ment the railroads. TO he benefit of
both, by relieving them of certain of
the less profitable classes of freight.
The more far seeing railroad mer.. l
am glad to tell you, realize this fact
and many of them have become earn
est advocates of the improvement of
the Mississippi. so that il may become
sort of inland seaboard, extending
from the gulf far into the interior. and
/ hope ultimately to the great lakes.