The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-01-29

sEAH Bills Payable Monthly.
MISSOURI RIVER CONGRESS
The congress held at Sioux City
last week in the interest of the inn
provment of the Missouri river was
we'll attended by representatives of
seven states. There was much en-
thusiasm shown and numerous speech.
es which bore more or less on the
great subject of our National water
ways. 10 be honest. the congress
did not impress US. The percentage
of delegates who really believed in
the work. was small. They were a
bunch of boosters and boomers, real
estate men and politicians. but with
the majority there was twinkle in
the eye when they spoke of the Mis-
souri, and its improved waterway.
But two speeches were made in our
hearing. which bore directly on the
subject. Congressman Ransdell of
Louisiana, spoke as if he had the
matter at heart and Mr.. Jones of
Kansas City. who has invested his
money in real Missouri river boats,
gave the most intelligent talk de-
livered before the Congress. The
other speeches were excellent in some
ways but they gave the impression of
a man talking about something con-
NH ho o,,l
about which he was speaking simply
because it seemed to be the proper
thing.
The banquet toasts were good. but
as one guest put it. They were sad
ly lacking in terminal facilities
A man. who is one of six or eight
speakers after banquet ought to be
more merciful then to speak thirty
minutes. The toasts were all we'll
received. however. Gov. Cummins.
Lieutenant Governor Garst. Perkins
of Sioux City and Kennedy of Omaha
did exceptionally we'll. while Jeffries,
who was touted by the Omaha crowd
as a "next Congressman" gave an
example of exaggerated ego which
would be hard to beat. Mr.. Jeffries
goes the spelling reformers one better
and has created system of syntax.
which. fortunately. is all his own.
Mayor Dahlman of Omaha was an
other Nebraskan. who thrust himself
into the lime-light with even more
disastrous results. The Government
snag boat should commence it's work
in Omaha. Mr.. Dahlman has de-
licate constitution and the change of
water evidently affected him. He
certainly made goose of himself.
doing for himself what nature did for
the distinguished ''next congress
man. from the same city.
The, problem of river navigation
is great one and it should receive
the earnest attention of the people.
Some day it will come. Congresses
hasten it more or less. Nature abhors.
not only vacuum. but waste. The
American peuple are allowing the
greatest river system of the world to
go practically to waste. AS land
values increase. as population be-
comes more dense. as competition
becomes more intense. the riverways
must and will be improved.
When we were young the accepted
method of building was to begin at
the foundation and build up stone by
stone. brick by brick until the edifice
was completed. To-day such methods
are out of date. The modern builder
of the city sky scraper. outlines his
building with skeleton of steel.
Story after story until the structure
seems to rise to the clouds. Then he
goes back and fills in. 1t is a mat
ter of supreme indifference to him
whether he completes the thirty
fourth story first or makes it wait I'M
til after the second story is complet-
ed.
The American method of Nation
building has been much the same.
We have builded skeleton structure
of steel that has reached from ocean
to ocean, and now it is our business
to fill in. We must retrace out
steps. The canals. the waterways
the God given means of Transports
ton. must be improved and made of
use. No other nation has been so
recklessly extrayagant. 1t may cost
thousand to improve our waterways.
but it costs millions to leave them
unimproved. The improvement of
our waterways can only be seriously
impeded by its friends. They must
be reasonable. They must be sensible
The reason we have poor roads in
Iowa is that every road director in
sists that trifing sum must be ex-
pended on his little mile or two The
resale is that no permanent improv-
went - r,,oda Wa ORC in favor If