The Cairo bulletin., 1908-10-08
PICTURE OF STATELY SHIPS
PASSING UP ANO DOWN RIVER
DRAWN AT WATERWAYS MEET
Urgent Need Of Immediate Construction of Chan
ne!s Shown by Taft

This amendement will be submitted
the people at the coming electio
and it will be carried"
r Taft was cheered as he arose an
Immediately launched forth into a
argument for the waterways
This afternoon four special train
carried the visitors on a tour Ct /,
spection of the Chicago drainage cana
which some day, the delegates hope
will form part Of the channel to tn
Gulf Of Mexico from Lake Michigan.
Tomorrow there will be two ses
slons, morning and afternoon. At tn,
forenoon session w. j. Bryan vii
: make an address an din the Afternoon
1 the principal speaker will be Giffor,
Pinchot, chairman of the national con
servation commission and head of The
forestry division at Washington. Ter
minute speeches will be made by dele
gates.
President kavanauehs Address.
A paramount issue confronts tho
people OF the United States. In tech
nical English this issue may be ex
pressed in the question: Shall our
Natural Resources be Conserved and
Deyeloped?" With equal truth, this
| isci,a NOV Ia ovnraegoJ Il, +bo t,o
er question: Shall our National Pros.
Iperity be Promoted and Perpetuatel?"
For the conservation and development
Iof our natural resources equals the
promotion and perpetuation of our no.
tional prosperity.
Ii is noteworthy fact that this
issue has become paramount since
the creation, two years ago,of this
fthe-Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep Waterway
Association-whose principal object is
the development Of those great natur
ii resources, the Mississippi and its
tributaries.
Other organizations of citizens have
helped to raise this issue Much has
been done by different river improve
ment associations, and especially by
the Rivers and Harbors Congress,
whose field is the entire country. We
disparage no other organization, no
other movement. All are needed and
we cordially invite cooperation.
The decilen in our transportation
cannot justly be charged to any par.
ticular agency such as the railways
for as a matter of fact Railways and
waterways are nd lwys should be
agencies for the car.
riage of freight and for other traffic,
and it is especially gratifying to note
hat since this Association was Gre |
lted the leading railway men of the |
Nation have slgnified approval of the |
waterway policy and have been among
the most effective workers in this
But why have the national authori-
les failed? Surely not because Of
ear of imposing tax on industry
md property, for the Indifference, the
allure to supply adequate transporta-
ion facilities, has always been and is
oday a heavier tax nthe energy and
Enterprise of our people than any 9th.
r. in fact, heavier. deeper than all
thers combined. Growing communi-
les need and can bear just taxation.
10 community or country deserves
or can bear up under the taxation of
adherence and incompetence. What ,
; true of the Mississippi Valley is in I
ONE respects true of every section $
fthe country. The rivers of the Al. a
lntic. Pacific and Gulf coasts require &
evelopment Our canals. once a 4
leans of enrichment o fthe country. {
hould be restored. We. of this asso-
iNafiDaas SbhHAlA anu tlltONl hEtil
ith the valuable efforts Of other sec +
ons to find relief from that burden I
Taxation pouring out Of dilatory Z
I'D Indifferent waterway policy. yet n
e holland we challenge any and L
D to dispute our claim-that since +
le Mississippi is our greatest river. 4
raining hal four country and sustain i
g half our population, Il must be the g
.ntral feature OF any plan for water
ay improvements We. of this asso- I,
alton. therefore urge the adoption Of ri
broad and vigorous policy of water. il
ay improvement Let it begin with a
Ie Mississippi and let other rivers I,
81 other sections follow as rapidly as I
-actical: let US, as citizens Of the 4.
immol country. unite with those Of Il
her sections in advocating a broad G
'liey. and let US urge on them the II
isdom Of joining US in our demand r,