Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-02-15

mat is what you have here; local
commerce. We don't have to figure
on getting this commerce to Liver
pool. Local trade will suffice for us
on this Missouri river. The water
ways question, as | understand the
great movement, is one that has
peen thrust upon the people by the
inability of the railroads to carry the
| freight that is turned over to them.
When demands were made upon
the great committee of Rivers ani
Harbors of our National Congress we
were answered: "Why, we have had
no demand from the people We
don't know that you represent the
people. Go back to the people and
let them send. us up word that they
wish us to appropriate millions and
hundreds of millions of dollars of
their money. We are their servants
and If they demand it we will make
appropriations" And so few ard
ent enthusiastic men gave their
time and started out upon this work
OF education, and they. called togeth
er three years ago meeting in
Washington, asking all those who
were interested in waterways to meet
and about five hundred men met in
Washington two years ago last De-
cember and they talked and passed
resolutions, making demands upon
congress, and they were sent back
home to scatter the seeds Of know
ledge. Another convention was cali
ed in Washington. It was ATTENDED
by about twelve hundred delega,es
and they passed resolutions and made
demands upon congress, and writer's
Of papers and magazines took UP, the
work, 50 that you have been able
to read during the past year a grea--
many articles upon. waterways of
this country. Last December they
met again and there were nineteen
hundred men, representing thirty
odd states. They met in Washing
ton. Perhaps half Of the governors
Of the United States were there, and
address that congress. The best men
of the entire country, who had been
giving their time and thought to the
question. They passed resolutions.
It was the sense, o. the congress that
FIVE hundred millions Of dollars
should be. appropriated, to be expend,
ed upon the waterways Of this coun,
try. Fifty millions to- be used am
nually, SO that when these five hun.
dfed millions Of dollars should be
placed IN the hands of the committees
to expend they would be able to
start upon the work, knowing that
money would be forthcoming. that
they could complete that work. That
resolution was carried unanimously!
That congress, had as its listeners
members, Of one,halfa the congress d
the United States. It was a, great
body of men. The word that they
have sent out over this country was
word that will not die until these
waterways of Gus. have been i'm.
proved as. they should be improved
That great congress had as. its
motto, 'tThe policy and not the
projects"
The question of where this money
shouldf be appropriated has been left
to the districts and so in the: past
two or6three years and even within
this year various associations have
been organized: the Ohio River AS
ISOLATION, as Mr.. Ellis has stated
has been in existence many years
we have theTrans- Mississippi or Gulf,
the Pacific Coast, the Lakes associa-
ton, the Lakes to the Gulf associa.
ton, only this fall the Atlantic Sea-
coast association was organized, de-
handing a natural waterway all the
length of the Atlantic coast, and now
this last one has been organized, and
hope not the least one, the Mis-
souri, River Improvement congress.
organized this fall. We have organ
lied this association embracing the
states that are contiguous to the Mis-
souri, river, seven states, upon the
theory, that, united, and with unired
purpose we can secure appropriations
for the river. These seven states
have fourteen United States sena.
tors, they are represented by over
three score, congressman, any way
we have Representatives in congress
sufficient SO that If these forces were
united we could get what the river
deserves. 2
But this, matter of waterways tran
sportation is question that must
be propogated, promulgated broad
cast. 1t is new one, the more it
is studied the more you become in
terested in it, the more you become
aware of the fact that with naviga-