Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-01-28
GOVERNOR IS
ENTHUSIASTIC
BELIEVES NAvIGABILITY OF MIS-
SOURI, RIVER PRACTICAL AND
INEXPENSIVE AS COMPARED TO
VALUE AccRUING FROM THE
IMPROVEMENT.

Governor Burke has returned from
the waterways convention at Sioux
City, where he made an address at the
banquet Wednesday night There was
a delegation of nearly dozen persons
from North Dakota at the meeting
and all were enthusiastic for the pro-
ject of Improvement of the Missouri
river. Governor Burke is convinced
that the improvement of navigation
onlthe Missouri and Mississippi riv-
I2ers is only dependent on the improve.
ment of the streams themselves by
theimaking of necessary Improvements
such as broadening and deepening the
channel and the construction of works
along the banks, and that if the repre-
sentatives in congress from the dis.
tricts affected, which will be the en-
tire Missouri and Mississippi river val.
! leys, will work in harmony the pro-
! ject will be carried to a successful
completion.
Everybody at the meeting was en-
thusiastic," said Governor Burke Mon.
day. North Dakota had very good
delegation at Sioux City and other
states had their full quota of dele
gates present. We reached there
Wednesday evening in time for the
banquet and remained during Thurs
day. The burden of the addresses
made was that the waterways project
was entirely practical and it was en-
Enthusiastically Endorsed. 1t is purely
business proposition, this improve
ment of the Missouri and Mississippi
and the question is not what it will
cost, but what will be returned to the
people in better methods of transpor
tation and the relieving of conditions
upon the railways, which are already
admitted to be Overcrowded with bust
ness, in the great development of the
Missouri river 1t was set forth that
the Missouri river was navigable is
far as Fort Benton and it was pointed
out that a proper system of locks and
dams nearer the headwaters of the
river would hold the water back ana
preventsfreshets in times of high wa.
ter and would at all times regulate
the stage of water. These are, of
course, matters of engineering to be
worked out as the matter develops, but
with the main project of river trans
portation, I think it is only question
Of working out the problem. II
1T was pointed out by one of the
speakers present that the country is
spending many millions and hundreds
of millions upon the Panama canal,
which is for the benefit of the people
of the entire world, and should not
hesitate to spend millions upon inter-
nal waterways which shall be of bene-
fit mostly to the people of this coun
try. ..u ...-.
with respect to the proposed meet
ing at Bismarck, l have partial as.
suranees from Governor Cummins of
Iowa, Governor Johnson of Minnesota,
and Governor Sheldon of Nebraska,
that they will be present and I think
we can get Governor Crawford and
one or two other distinguished public
men to be present. 1t will lend fur
Their interest to the whole project and
set the North Dakota interest in this
matter before the country. If the
river is developed, as it can be, and
the country in this section is cultivat.
ed, either through irrigation such as
is now in effect at Williston, or by a
system of better conservation of mois-
ture, there is no question but Bis
marck will be one of the largest and
most important cities in the state. We
can advance that time if We all take
hold and push