Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-03-06
PLEA or PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
IN SPECIAL MESSAGE TO
CONGRESS.
COMMISSIONS REPORT
NO OTHER CIVILIZED COUNTRY
MAKES SO LITTLE USE OF
ITS RIVERS.


Wednesday sent a special msssas" I"
Congress inciosins the report Of tho
commission on inland waterways and
urging immediate action ioo.in. to tho
Improvement Of inland streams In 'h"
interests OF Increased prosperity and
commercial growth of tho country.
The message of the president was In
part as follows:
TO the Senate and House Of Rep
resentntiveS: l transmit herewith
preliminary report from the inland wa.
terwnys commission. which was ap-
pointed by me last March In response
to q widespread interest and demand
from the people. The basis Of this de-
mnnd lay In the general and admitted
traffic NJ the country. and especially
the crops OF III. previous fall.
This report is well worth your at
tcntion. Il is thorough. conservative.
sane and lust. II represents the mature
Judgment o, n body Of men exceptions.
ally qualified by personal experience
and knowledge Of conditions through.
out tho United States. To understand
and discuss the great problem OF how
best to use our waterways In the Inter
est Of all the people.
Our river systems are better adapt
cd tn the needs Of the people Than
those OF any other country. la extent.
distribution. nayigabiiiiy and casn OF
use. they stand first. Yet tho rivers
Of no other civilized country are No
poorly developed. so little used. or play
va small u part In the Industrial life or
the nation ms those Of the uniicd
States.
.'Th. com'uS-rion finds that II was
unrcguiaIcd railroad competition which
prevented or destroyed the develop
mcnt OF commerce ON our inland water
ways. The Mississippi. our greatest
natural highway, is u case In point. AZ
ono time tho traffic upon 1t was Win
out n rival In amy country. The report
shows that commerce wns driven from
tho Mississippi by the railroads..
Throughout the country the railways
have secured such contro, OF canals
and steamboat lines that today inland
waterway transportation In largely In
| their hands. This was natural ana
| doubtless inevitable under the circuiii-
stances. hut Il should not be allowed TO
| continue under careful government reg
ulation.
Tho development Of our inland wa
terways will have results far bcyond
tho Immediate gnin Of commerce. Deep
channels along the Atlantic and EuIt
coasts and from the gulf To the great
lakes will have high value for tn. ma
| tionni defense. The use OF water power
will m.as,irabIy relieve the drain
| upon our diminishing supplies OF coal.
and transportation by water instend Ht
rail will only tond to conserve our iron
| Forest protection. without which river
Improvement cannot be permanent.
will Mt the same time help to postpone
the threatened timber famine. and VIII
secure us against n total dearth ot tini-
bcr by providing for the pcrpetnation
Of the remaining woodlands. 1rririi-
,ion will create the means Of a iivcis-
hood for millions OF people, and sup
! plies OF pure water will powerfully
promote the public health.
| we cannot afford nccdlessly to sec
| rifice power to irrigation, or irrigation
to domestic water supply. when ny
| taking thought we may have all three.
While we delay our rivers remain un-
used, our traffic Is periodically con-
gested and the material wealth and ma
| tural resources of the country related
to waterways are being steadily ap-
sorbed by great monopolies.
Among these monopolies. as the re-
port OF the commission points out.
there is no other which threatens. or
| has ever threatened, such intolerabio
Interference with the daily life Of the
people as tho consolidation OF com
panies controlling water power. ! call
your special attention to the attempt
OF the power corporations. through
bills introduced Mt the present session.
to escape from the possibility OF gov
ernment regulation In the interests OF
l u.ll lat. sIass N
enable the corporations to take pos
session in perpetuity OF national forest
lands for the purposes OF their busi-
ness, where and as they please. wholly
without compensation to the public.
"The questions Of organizations.
powers and appropriations are now he
fore the congress. There is urgent need