The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-02-14
KNOX SPEAKS
ON WATERWAYS
SENATOR FROM PENNSYLVANIA
BELIEVES IN IMPROVEMENT.
PLANS NEEDED
Comprehensive Scheme for Develop
ment Of Every Feasible Water Route
Should BE Carried out ~ Govern
ment-lntuence on the Canal.

Pittsburg, Feb. 12.-With four Unit
ed State senator's, as many congress-
men and several hundred Of the most
prominent business men OF the Pitts
burg district in attendance. The annual
Lincoln's birthday banquet OF the
Pittsburg chamber OF commerce was
held at the Hotel Schenly here today.
The dinner was very successful.
and the chief address was delivered
by Senator ". C. Knox of Pennsyl-
vania. The otner speakers and
guests we're Senator j. p. Dolliver Of
Iowa. Senator Thomas Carter Of Mon.
tana, Senator Boies Penrose Of Penn
sy'vanla and Congressman j. s. Fas.
sett of new York. Three congress
men OF this district. James Frances
Burke, DR.. A. J. Barcht1eld and A. Ora
ham, were also present.
Senator Knox spoke in part as fol-
lows: !
The future volume. stability and
expansion OF American commerce de-
pend largely upon the energy and
courage of the people. upon their con-
fidence that their government will not
disturb unnecessarily the normal laws
affecting trade, upon their belief in
the governments efficiency to protect
them in their rights. and upon Its will
ingness to energetically and literally
expand their opportunities.
Last evening in another place /
took occasion to discuss the policies
Of the government in respect to the
railroads and their relation to the. peo-
pie and the national authority. This
evening, with your permission, / will
speak to you Of the peoples legitimate
claims upon the same authority for q
broad. systematic, enlightened and lib
eral policy In developing the tremen-
dous possibilities Of the natural high
ways Of the nation. 4.
Favors Great System.
mo subject Of national policy has
been more distorted by partial views,
more disfigured by Misrepresentation.
or more dwarfed by the conflict Of
local interests than the governmental
work Of improving our harbors and
! waterways. and yet upon no other one
factor does the future expansion of
commerce so largely depend. To one
element the appropriations for that
purpose appear but as q division OF
spoils. By each particular section
its own improvements are regarded as
legitimate national claims, while those
Of other sections may seem to be ex.
!, aggerated and greedy. The stage has
been reached when local jealousies
should be cast aside, and these limit
ed and partial views enlarged to the
perception that whatever expenditure
ia necessary to bring to its utmost
economic capacity every harbor capa-
! BILE of commercial utility and every
river able to furnish q route for indus.
trial or agricultural products and ma.
terial, Is the most ~remunerative In.
vestment that can be made with ma
tional funds. Old methods may have
invested these works with local and
log-rolling characteristics. The true
national. policy Ia to embark on the
creation OF an inclusive system Of har-
bors and waterways which shall be
developer to lts utmost economic pos.
sibility.
1.-THE duty Of the government to I'M
prove its waterways and harbors is
made exigent by the great expendi'
lures In progress on the Isthmus Of
Panama. Besides the vast general In
ducement for bringing all our harbors
and rivers to their full economic ca
pacity, the direct bearing Of this work
in securing to our own people thell
fair share Of the benefits from the in
teroceanic canal is 70 intimate and
weighty that 1t cannot be neglected
with justice to this nation or without
discrediting our own intelligence and
consistency.
Beyond the larger importance o
cheap water transportation for gen
eral commerce and industry, the I'm
mediate requisite Of securing q full re
turn from the great Investment on thu
isthmus, and indeed the need Of gtvint
that canal It's full traffic and revenue
establishes as basic in our natdona
policy Of internal improvements thes'
propositions.
I'VE should discard further procras
tinahons and set about the systematic
and comprehensive improvement Q
all ports and waterways that are 9
can be made tributary to the canal
in order, II possible, to complete q
Of them with the completion Of tn
canal; and IL that is not possible. =
complete the largest proportion poss