The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1905-1908, 1908-01-09

The crusade for improved water
ways that is spreading over the en-
tire countEy like a huge prairie fire
reached Columbus this week, when
the city was visited by the special
director of the National Rivers and
Harbors Congress. Mississippi is
about to hold a state meeting to form
a branch Of the great national organ
ization and Governor Vardaman, who
is the national e-president for the
state, invited Mr. John A. Fox, the
special director, TO come and tour the
state so as to awaken interest in the
lar cities before the convention.
Mr.. Fox arrived on short notice We'd
nesday evening, having telephoned
Mr. Walter Weaver in the morning
of his coming. Mr.. Weaver did all
he could to get out an audience but
the bad weather and New Years en-
gagements made it impossible to get
the business men together.
Mr.. Fox gave out the following
interview, however, regarding his
visit and the waterways crusade:
The time has come when the valu-
able waterways of the country can
no longer be overlooked or disre-
garded in our great commercial de-
velopment. Congress has never TAX
en- cognizance Of this valuable nation
al asset in a manner that would pro
II,
tions made for improving our rivers
during the past century have not been
made in a systematic or business-like
way, but have rather been made as
an accommodation to ambitious con
gressmen desirous of making a
showing" to their constituents. The
result is that we have expended I
1928, 100000 for river and harbor /
improvement during our nations life +
time with but little to show in re- I
turn as a finished product.
The business men of the country /
now recognize this and have arisen in
determination to undertake these |
great internal improvements upon /
broader and more business-like lines.
They have organized this great wa
terway association, the National
Rivers and Harbors Congress, in
whose ranks are enrolled men from
every walk of life-merchants, man
ufacturers, farmers, professional men
and broad-minded statesmen. This
organization has but ore pur-
pose in view and that is the establish
ment of a new policy on which to inn
prove our waterways and make them
a factor in our national development.
This congress has been working
for two years. awakening sentiment
and promoting publicity in favor of
river Improvement, so that congress
will be induced to consider our great
system of waterways as a whole and
provide adequately for the immediate
development of the system. It is
estimated that s500,0O0,0 900 viii give
us an almost complete system of
canalized rivers extending over A.
900 miles of nayigable streams and
reaching forty states If this
amount can be expended during the |
next 10 years at the rate of $4,000
900 a year it will be equivalent to
building 100000 miles of additional
railroads. Mr.. James J. Hill, presi-
dent of the Great Northern Railroad, ]
tells US that it will require $500
100000 TO build the railroad mile
age needed today TO meet the de- /
nands of the consumer and relieve
congestion. The railroads can not $
-aise the money to fraction of this, [
1ut our national government, spend !
ng s100,000,000 year on navy 9
md $S0.000,000 a year on the army J
an surely afford to spend $50,000,-l
700 a year on such an investment as
he Improvement OF our rivers. See |
low it would pay The cost of car J
wing freight by rail is 75 mills per Y
on per mile in the United States.
rhe cost by water is only / mill, or {
IS mills less than by Tail IF our {
waterways were in such a condition I
hat navigation could be carried on
through them a large amount of I
'ulky freight, Such as coal. ore,
rain. lumber and cotton could be
arried at saving of 6.5 mills per c
on per mile. What would this mean Y
n dollars and cents to the people. c
here wee 4,S00,000.000 bushels Of {
rain shipped last year-save only
me cent per bushel and you have