Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-07
WATERWAY SCHEME
ENDORSED By 1AF|
Presidential Nominee Delivers
Notable Address Before
Lakes-To-Gulf Meeting
GIVEN A SPLENDID OVATION
TAFT Reviews tho Advantages Of Trans
portation by Water From Great Pro-
ducins Center Of Middle West-Bryan
Also in Chicago and Will Meet
Taft.

Chicago, Oct. 7.-National attention
was directed to the opening of the
lakes-to-gulf deep waterways conven-
tion today when the republican and
democratic nominees for the presidency
arrived in Chicago, preparatory ito do
ing their part in the gathering toward
promoting the deep waterway project
that will link THE great lakes with the
ocean.
Bryan was the first to arrive He
was greeted at the station by a delega-
tion that ineluded officials of both the
waterways convention and the demo-
cratic national COMMITTED Two hours
late Taft received a similar greeting
and was escorted to the convention
hail, where 1le delivered the first of the
notable speeches that will mark the
three days sessions.
When the convention was called to
order every delegate seat was filled and
the galleries and auditorium of the
theater We're filled with spectators. The
appearance Of Taft, who was intro
duced by Governor Deneen, was the
signal for an ovation that lasted for
many minutes. With the exception OF
the speech by President Kavanaugh
outlining the work of the association
and the success DIT had attained, only
official business occupied the conven-
tion until the introduction of Taft.
At the conclusion of his speech the
candidate left hurriedly for
Galesburg, ILL.,, where he made a speech
before returning to meet Bryan at the
of the Chicago Association OF
Commerce i'm the evening. Various
committees were appointed and the
convention adjourned for the day to
permit the delegates to make personal
inspection of the deep waterway route
between Chicago and Joliet.
Taft Endorses Waterway.
In his speech before the waterways
convention Taft said:
'"rhe question of systematic Inn
provement of our inland waterways is
ONE which our government has all too
long neglected. Until recently, appro
priations for that purpose have not
been made according to any established
plan or system or policy. but rather
according to the varying degrees OF
insistence of the representatives of diff
fere1lt districts or sections of our
country, and without proper discrim-
ination between THE relative merits of
projects And so it is that, after the
first century OF our existence, we find
our INLAND waterways with q few not
able exceptions unprepared for the uses
of transportation. We find that the
enormous increase OF production OF our
people in all lines of industrial activity
has outstripped the ability of our great
railroad systems to transport them. No
other nation has been so favored with
so magnificent q system of ravigable
lakes and rivers, and If we inprove
these In accordance with a well-defined
progressive policy we shall, in con-
junction with our great railroads and
other forms Of transportation, keep
apace with the industrial and CONNER
cial advancement of our country.
SFeat saving "0uI0 FOLLOW.
Il am not unmindful Of the great
expenditure Of public money which the
Of such policy will en-
tail, but as the transportation by water
is about one sixth Of that by rail,
great saving. apportioned between pro-
ducer and consumer and hence among
all our people, would follow There
is an indirect saving which results
from reduction in railroad rates be-
tween all points that are served by
water transportation, and these reduc-
tions in turn similarly affect parallel
lines far to either side of a water
route. Thus each waterway has its
own influence upon freight rates.
Producers Have Long Haul.
producers Of the United States have
a longer haul to the seaboard than
any other country competing for for
eign trade. We must overcome the
disadvantage Of the longer haul by
lesser freight rate, for which we must
look to the waterways, navigable all
the year round. Nor does such pol
Icy of waterways improvement oper-
ate disadvantageously to the railroads,
even tho it compels lower freight rates.
In the natural economy of transporta-
ton, bulky raw material. commanding
lower freight charges, falls to the wat
erways. while the manufactured goods
of infinite variety seek the railroads.
Thus one sytem becomes compIementai
Of the other.
Project Great One.
Your project proposes to connect by
deep waterways the great lakes sys-
tenn with the Mississippi river and the
gulf of Mexico. and thus With all the
harbors of the world. Its grand con-
ception appeals to the thoughtful con-
sideration of those who must finally
pass upon its adoption. The achieve
nent of these great ends can not. how
ever, be worked out thru congress
a radical departure from the
course of procedure heretofore en-
ployed No projects should be inn
proved without most careful consider
y "a