Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-01-23
Seven States, with Six Hundred Dele
gates, Discuss River Improvement.
OF GOVERNOR CUMMNs
Constant Agitation Necessary to
Secure Action by Congress.
Clarke ON HOW TO HOLD RIVER
Congressman Ellis says Fate Of Mis-
souri, River cities and Pros
perity of Farmer depend
on the Result.

sIoUN CITY, Ia. january ce.-t Special
Telegram. )-Politics broke out early I'm the
game in the Missouri River Navigation con-
gress, which opened at the New Grand
theater this afternoon.
Omaha and Kansas City locked horns
with view to landing the noxt meeting.
and Omaha won the preliminary skirrnsh.
Gossip has It that George G. Can Of Sioux
City. chairman OF the executive committee.
had lined up with the Kansas City bunch
and A. B. Beall Of Sioux city. secretary OF
the committee. had lined mp with Omaha.
It is told that Mr.. Call was IN conference
this morning with Congressman Ellis OF
Kansas City and Governor Cummins "
Iowa who Is understood to favor Kansas
City. and that Omaha got wise to the CON
ference. So when Congressman Ellis in
the afternoon nominated CAN for temporary
chairman. with the expectation that the
convention would gladly give the Sioux
City man a complimentary vote. someone
i'm sympathy with Omaha bobbed up and
suggested the substitution Of Victor +.
Bender OF Council Bluffs FOR temporary
chairman. and the substitution went with
a whir Beall was made temporary secre-
tary. Thus Omaha gained control Of the
convention at the start oft
In addition TO Omaha and Kansas city.
Yankton, s D.. is strong bidder for the
next convention. All South Dakota is
strong for Yankton.
Rumors are tonight that Omaha and
Yankton will effect some sort of a combin-
alton; that perhaps Omaha will be given
the next meeting and Yankton will be
given the presidency OF the congress- At
any rate. Omaha seems to have the upper
hand for the present
seven states Represented.
With COO delegates representing seven
states. Montana. North Dakota, South Ds-
kota, Iowa. Nebraska. Missouri and Kan
sas. the congress Was opened
The largest delegations present are from
Omaha. which sent nearly 800 representa-
tive business; Nsnkton, with 30; Council
Bluffs. with about forty. Kanasas city with
thirty-five. The Kansas city. ST. Joseph
Omaha, South Omaha and Council Bluffs
boosters arrived in special train AZ II :ih
a. m. and We're given a great reception.
Among the prominent public men attend
ing the convention are Governor A. B.
Cummins OF Iowa Governor George L.
Sheldon Of Nebraska, who will arrive to-
morrow; Governor Coe l. Crawford Of
South Dakota, Congressman Edgar G. Ellis
of Kansas City. Congressman 3. p. Bird
sail and Congressman y. II. Hubbard of
Iowa. ongressman Joseph r. Ransden of
Louisiana. president OF the National Riv-
ers and Harbors congress. Mayor William
T. Spratt Of ST. Joseph. Mayor Henry NJ
Beardsley Of Kansas city Mayor James
Dahlmsn Of Omaha. Lawrence NJ. Jones
Of Kansas city. president OF the Missouri
Valley improvement association. and
Thomas Wilkinson OF Burlington. president
OF the Upper Mississippi River Improve
ment association.
Chairman Bender appointed the following
committees:
Orsaniza atiop-- Montana T. T. Stranahan:
North Dakota. F. l. M9ckey South Da-
kota, George Henry; Nebraska. e. J. Mo
w Beardsley; Kansas. ". r. Childs at
large, Governor A. p. Cummins OF Iowa
Governor George L. Sheldon OF Nebraska
Hon. G. w. Brann OF North Dakota and
e. NJ Clende4ning Of Kansas City;
Of Iowa, c. n, Disney Of North Dakota,
George II Stevenson OF Montana. J. r.
City.
Ressolqtions-w.. z. spratt Of Missouri
Of South Dakota, J. w Bull Of North Da-
kota, James 7. Kennedy of Iowa w J..
Webb OF Kansas. F. r strsnahan OF Mon
kota, George {. Can of Iowa John stein
hart OF Nebraska and Edgar &. Ellis OF
Missouri.
Text of the Governors Address.
Governor Cumm.ns said.
ietl thdl am, IN a measure, on Of the
members OF tie committee upon whose in
VitatiOn you have come together and that
there rs a manifest pTopTiety In surrender
ing, TO a large extent, my time upon the
program. To our distinRuisbed s,,esfs RI h
feeling is intensified when 1 reflect upon
the conspicuous ability Of the gentlemen
VINO are 70 follow me, and upon the fact
that within recent months / have spoken
several times upon The Improvement OF ouf
waterways. and have therefore made pub
llc my opinions upon topic that ought 10
enlist the interest OF every patriotic Amerl-
can who believes that the wonderful de-
veloDment OF the present Is but the promise
OF the mightier development Of the future
While the duty OF extending a greeting
| TO our visitors from other states has been
assigned TO better hands must be allowed
the privilege Of giving 10 them most cor
dial welcome to this meeting. Iowa has
no selfish interest 70 promote she wants
TO stand hand In hand, and shoulder to
shoulder with her sister states IN carrying
forward the most vital ana beneficent en-
| terprises Of the time.
Iowa for Good of All.
Iowa will ask nothing. advocates nothing.
that will not be for the common benefits Of
ali the states whose commerce should be
borne, in part, upon the waters OF the
Mississippi and Missouri. There Is nothing
that will 80 quickly destroy the hope of a
practicable channel iu each Of these rivers
as the discoTds q jealoousy and the dis
! integration q sclfishness.
| / therefore welcome you as men who not
only believe that this as the greatest cOun-
also believe that IL is a part OF the plan OF
Providence that it always will be the
mightiest nation under the sun ] welcome
you men VINO understand that the chief
difference between barbarEm and civiliza-
tion Is that the former deals only with the
present, and the latter prepares for tho
future. i welcome you as men who have a
common object TO accomplish. aud VINO be-
lieve that uaVagable channel should begin
al the westernmost point in the Missouri
river which nature will allow, and run con
tinuOusly until II bTOadens out into the
| Gulf OF Mexico: that another should begin
al 81. Paul. and bear Us burden OF traffic
into the southern waters uf the republic.
All Rivers Must ne Improved.
II is obvious % Cvers thinking mun THAI
the Improvement OF our waterways cannot
be sectionai What We, iU tnree valleys OF
the MissisaiPpi ana Missouri HaVe 4 right
10 demand. the people % olher states de.
pending upon their nayigable streams have
also a right TO demand. M We are % sup
plement our railway transportation with a
/ ~ tat a.. M.