The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-10-07
DEEP WATERWAYS
CONVENTION OPENS
President Kavanaugh Calls
Gathering of 900 Dele
gates to Order.
CONTINUED from First Page)

and the unlimited carrying capacity
or me waterways, you carry millions
OF cons OF raw materials to fur
naces and factories. there to be con-
yerted into corresponding tons of
merchandise capable OF bearing
higher freight charge.
Your project purposes to connect
by deep waterway the Great Lakes
system with the. Mississippi river and
the Gulr OF Mexico, and thus with
all the harbors OF the world
Drains Vast Empire
1.-THE Mississippi river. with its
great tributaries, drains an empire
vastly greater IN all the resources Of
nature than those who accomplished
the acquisition Of that mighty stream
and the territory beyond II ever
dreamed of.
Three things have made this ma
tion great among the nations OF the
world: first, the inventive genius, en-
ergy, and industry of her people. sec
and. third. her coal and iron, her fer
tile fields and abundant products-in
a word, her natural resources. out
what will the ability and orBaniza-
tion OF our people pront If the coal
and iron are wasted, and II the fields
and forests lose their productive
power?
destruction Of timber continues, our
forests Will be exhausted within
generation; IL our increasing use OF
our known deposits or IRON continues
all our high grace ores will be con-
sumed during the present century;
II the present waste and increasing
consumption OF coal continue all our
vast anthracite. bituminOus, and Hg-
nitic coal viii be gone before the
end OF the next century.
Fuel Going Fast.
at any reasonable rate OF con-
sumption, our petroleum can hardly
last more than two or three genera
tons: ana a The present appalling
rate of waste our best natural fuel,
gas, Will be exhausted within dec
ade or two.
The naviga ole streams cannot be i'm
proved success sfuly and permanently
and controlled safely and effectively
without conserving the headwaters:
and generally this can best be done by
means Of forests.
The same control Of the sources OF
navlgable streams will clarity the wa
tiers and keep them pure for municipal
supply, at the same time preVenLIus.
them from building bars and filling the
harbors with silt at their mouths. In
the end, our rivers will undoubtedly be
made 10 run clear from their sources.
some canals and many lock dams
will be required for the control OF the
waters for navigation; these might and
should be so constructed IS 70 develop
water power, and experts estimate that
IN the United states the water product
bic IN this way viii suffice TO drive
every mill and mandatory, prOpel
every railway train and street car, Oper-
ate every loom and spindle and furnish
light and heat wherever required.
My own judgment is that every great
Improvement, Ike that OF the lakes TO
the gulf, Ike that OF the Ohio river like
that OF the Missouri river, Ike the At
lantc seaboard inland waterways.
should Ee treated by Itself as one great
enterprise just as We have treated the
Panama canal, and that provision
should be made. by bonds or otherwise,
Tor the setting aside Of a fund sufficient
70 complete 1t as rapidly as possible.
To leave progress in this matter 10
the utful and partisan consideration of
appropriation committees In Congress,
Influenced by a desire to reduce. the an
pearance Of total expenditure each year
as much as possible, is TO impair the
necessary financial support Of every one
OF these great enterprises and TO drag
them along from year 10 year and
greatly to delay their ultimate compile
ton
The convention then adjourned till
Thursday.
The afternoon was occupied by an
inspection Of the work that has actual
~ been done on deep waterways
The delegates went TO LOckport. where
work on the new canal is under way,
on four spel ial trains.
The city a. filed with delegates and
visitors and every downtown hotel lob
by is crowded. It is estimated that So
coo persons are here TO attend the cor
VentiOn- Among thu distinguished dele
gates who have already arrived are
Governors Folk. Of Missouri. Denecu..
OF Illinois. and Vardaman. Of MISSISSIPPI
pi; former Governor Francis, Of Mis-
souri,; Senator's Hopkins. Of Illinois:
Dixon. of Montana, and Theodore L.
Shonts. Of New York, with his daugh-