Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-10-09
Nebraskan Given Ovation When Ee
Rises to Speak.
SPEECH BY CLIFFORD PNCHoT
Letter from James ]. Hill Read by
Congressman Rainy,
PLEA FOR LOWER MISSOURI
Case of Kansas city Is Presented by
Congressman e, c. EIus of Mis-
souri-Lafayette Young
Talks.

CHICAGO. oct S.--Addresses by VIII
liam Jennings Bryan and clifford Pinohot,
the latter being chairman of the National
Conservation commission. the reading OF
a letter from j. j. Hin. short addresses
by delegates and big reception at the
Coliseum tonight were the features of the
second day of the convention OF the
Lakes the-Gulf Deep Waterways con-
gress. Mr. Bryan, who spoke earnestly
in favor of deep waterways, not only
from the lakes to the gulf, but In other
sections where additional transportation
facilities were needed, was given an en-
thusiastic reception, which was a dupli-
cate OF that given to Mr.. Taft yesterday
Resolutions adopted by the convention
commented upon the exceptionally strong
arguments of Mr.. Hill and Mr.. Pinchot
A stockholders meeting kept Mr.. Hin
from attending the convention and his
letter was read by Congressman Rainey
OF Illinois.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Plnchot's
speech a committee OF six was appointed
to cooperate with the chairman of the
National Conservation commission Short
speeches by delegates followed
Plea for Lower Missouri.
Congressman e. c. Ellis of Missouri
spoke from the viewpoint OF the two Kan
sas cities on the other side of the great
| state OF Missouri" II wish you would
bring in your imagination for a minute
said Mr.. Ellis. Look at the map OF the
Mississippi valley as we see It from Kansas
City. II you do, you VIII see traced down
from this point from Lake Michigan south
westerly this projected arm of the Great
Lakes. $50 miles. You Will see traced up
from tdewater. the Gulf OF Mexico. 1900
miles or more northward to Cairo, and then
100 miles further northwest, where II con-
verges with the arm of the Great Lakes at
the very mouth Of the great Missouri river.
II you have that picture in your mind. you
will not need to know, II you do not al
ready know IT, but one further fact to
catch our vision and understand why these
4 Kansas cities and all the great area for
which, they stand are knitted into this
great enterprise. Those li4es converge at
the east end Of 400 miles OF splendid rivers
a stretch which the engineers without dis
sent agree can be transformed into a chan
mel of commerce of the same depth and OF
like capacity with any other stretch Of
river in the Mississippi vtiiey, and for one
half to two-thirds the expense Of any other
like stretch in that valley
ID. X. IIlink of Chicago announced him
self as a commercial traveller and declared
that the men of his calling were deeply In
terested in the deep waterway movement.
He declared that the American people had
been indifferent and neglected their duty
in permitting the degeneraey OF the national
waterways.
Congressman Lorrimer OF Illinois traced
the waterways in Illinois
Lafayette Young OF Des Moines said:
THE American has been proud IN the
-
whose natural resources could never be
destroyed or perish. He destroyed the
forests OF Ohio and Indiana. and now
he must replant them. That is character
ist'c of his entire career. Now for the
first time we calling a halt. We are
compelled to economize to make every
thing so further in our commerce or In the
fierce competition of the business woroId
to go out Of business"
Address of Mr.. Bryan.
Mr.. Bryan showed only trace OF hoarse-
ness when he began speaking. His ad-
dress was repeatedly Interrupted by laugh.
ter or applause as he made some humorous
touch, or drove home an argument In be-
ginning Mr.. Bryan related few humorous
stories which caused much laughter. He
then said
II am glad to meet with those who as
! Develop
ments of the waterways Of this country
l am in hearty sympathy with you. You
cannot give the people too good facilities
for transportation OF their merchandise
''If YOU tell me You want to improve the
Mississippi l tell you that Is all right, 1
will help you improve just far as you
} please, and make the canal as wide as
you please and as deep as you please and
when you get to improving the Mississippi
will start out all alone II necessary to i'm
prove every river that empties into the
Mississippi Water transportation is the
natural transportation. God made the
rivers. man made the railroads. The rivers
} were the means before the railroads were
invented and while the railroads have
given us speed. it has not given us the
cheapnsss that the river gives And speed
is not the only thing. The railroad can
} not rival the water course in cheapness
and then there is another advantage that
the water course has
Waterways the Cheaper.
THE time has come when the land avail
able for homesteads is being we'll taken up
: and when these lands are occupied, then
instead OF sending people into new fields
to lay out new states we must begin to
take smaller sections and develop the lands
more thoroughly. and with that will come
pressing need for better transportation
We are an exporting nation II a bushe
OF wheat sells for 81 In London and It takes
50 cents to get 1t from the farm to London
the farmer gets 50 cents a bushel for his
! wheat. II you can so improve transporta-
tion that the farmer get his wheat
from his farm to Liverpool for 25 cents yoJ
3 have added 25 cents TO the farmers pric,
for his wheat II is a fact that II is ad
! mitted that the railroad cannot carry
: freight as cheaply as the boat can and
, therefore every farmer is interested in es
E tablishing water communication wherever
water communication is possible.
Il think have given a reason therefore
D why everybody should be interested In thii
; matter OF cheaper transportation. And
4 what say In regard to the Mississippi
3 valley ! want to say also IN regard to IN,
. I.-.A aE.L III. a.-Lar.. d..