The Washington herald., 1907-12-06

Addresses by mcn Of prominence who
represented every section Of the United
States marked the three sessions held
by the National Rivers and Hsrbors Con
gress convention in the assembly haH Of
the New Willard Hotel yesterday The
speakers included governors Of States.
presidents Of large railroad companies.
and others who had the cause OF the i'm
provement Of inland waterways at heart.
All OF them were enthusiastically received
by the delegates
James J. Hi. president or the Great
Northern Railroad Company. was the
chief speaker al the afternoon session.
Mr. HiH said that the railroads are now
unequal to the demands upon them, he
said that the country must now employ
1 its greatest waterway as an important
part OF the transportation system Of the
country Unless commerce can have an
| adequate channel. he continued. It must
decline. It has developed during the cur
rent year. he said that the railroads
alone VIII not be able to handle the aa-
tons commerce. and in seeking ampIer
ways for traffic the country turns 10 its
waterways for relief. Continuing. he said:
Wants Great Water Trunk Line.
Nature indicates that the commerce Of
the Middle West with the rest OF the
world should be carried in part BY the
Mississippi River. Here hes the most
practical exit from our national transpor-
tation dilemma To avail itself Of this
the nation should make a trunk line for
commerce Of the Mississippi River from
st Louis 10 the Gulf by the construction
Of canal not less than fifteen feet deep
for the entire distance Matters OF engi-
neering and OF cost need not be consid-
cred here. II We can dig a canal across
the IstEmus OF Panama il will be easier
/ 20 carry one down the Lower Mississippi
Air. Hill then took up the question OF
( the cost OF such an undertaking. and said
that even if it should necessitate the ex-
penditure Of s100.0ooO00 il would be moth
/ ing in comparison with the billion dollars
a year required TO keep the railroads from
I falling behind in the work which they
now do The whole country. he said.
would receive back the entire cost Of the
work in few years in the case an ad-
vantage with which markets could be
! reached and the lower cost of tranSpOrta-
| tion.
~Suner from DemaSOgueS."
Both railroads and waterways he
! continued. have suffered from the arti-
fees Of demagogues. who care nothing for
either. or for the welfare OF the people
/ dependent upon them The one has been
I indiscriminately assailed. The other has
been made football Of politics by ap-
peals 70 local interests II is time for a
wiser policy; one worthier Of great IN
dustrial nation The railroads have moth
/ ing TO ask but justice and fair play"
/ AR Hill said that he advocated the con
struction Of the Lower Mississippi Canal
TO be followed by an extension TO the
/ lakes AT Chicago. if this could be done.
and by other improvements 10 connect
with the great trunk water line indicated
as the basis and main outlet OF the sys-
TEN.
GOV. smith Takes Issue.
At the evening session Hoke Smith.
governor of Georgia. made a strong plea
( for the construction Of 1e channel He
1 assured the delegates that the section OF
/ the country which he represented is
heartily in favor Of the movement The
people Of the country are the ones most
/ interested in transportation. he said, and
advised the congress not to rely upon
/ their Senators and Representatives for
the contribution, but to get the fact Of
its necessity to the public 1t has been
commended he continued. that the great
railroad companies have had nothing 10
do with detaining this progress am ab-
solutely certain that the railroad corpora
tions have by their political influence
stopped the progress of our waterways"
He said that he was not present at the
convention 20 advocate any particular
| scheme for bringing about the cOnstruc-
tiOn. Il am simply here" he said. Ito ad-
vocate such progress that every point
may be touched when such thing is
practicable. I believe such a channel
would unload the burden on our railroads
and reduce the cost OF transportation
Gov Smith said that the cotton shipped
annually from this country abroad en-
HANGED $Sl0.G0c 900. and that this sum
rightly belonged 70 the people of the
States and that the inland waterways
solved the question Gov. Smith also de
clared himself Us IN favor of the United
States having great navy for the Pa
cihc Ocean He said that such a feet
should be large enough TO Withstand any
feet that might be sent over from the
orient.
In touching upon politics as relating 20
the construction Of the channel Gov.
Smith said that when IL came 20 say
when and how the money appropriated
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