New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-23
TO AID WATERWA Ways
PRESIDENT IN FAVOR
OF BOND ISSUE.
Says Improvements You'd
Help Control Rail
road Rates.

Corpus Christi, Tex. Oct. 22-An-
nouncing himself as an enthusiastic al
vocate OF deep waterways when such
projects can be shown to be practicable
! and necessary; and declaring that the
3 piecemeal procession by jerks policy
of Congress with reference to such I'M
/ provements should be replaced by den-
mite general plan for opening up the
/ great avenues OF commerce, President
Taft aroused the delegates TO the con-
vention Of the Interstate Inland Water
wavs League here to-day to an enthu-
siastic demonstration Of approval.
4 When the improvement is declared de-
sirable and the communities which II Is
To serve can convince Congress that
their growth justifies the expenditure OF
q large sum of money to take care OF IN
creasing trade. he said, bonds should he
issued in order that the improvements
might be carried into effect at once ana
/ the benefits Of them quickly securNi.
He recognized the danger OF issuing
bonds Unfortunately, and said the
people must not lose sight Of the fact
that some day the bonds must be paid.
But he declared his faith in the con-
servatisn of Congress and the American
4 people, and did not believe they would
go into the improvement of waterways
! bv means OF a bond issue on haphaz-
ard basis, but would conservatively cal
culate whether or not the time had ar
rived to do the work.
The President said that, in addition 20
extending commerce, deep inland water.
ways would be the best means TO control
railroad rates. In the mean time he
urged amendment Of the interstate COM
merce law to make its provisions more
effective. He added that he did not IA
vOr radical legislation. His purpose was
merely 10 keep railroads within the
bounds OF the law and down to reason
able rates.
He said the railroads should be en-
eOuraged, and referred to the fact that
in some places there is a disposition TO
DO injustice to the roads and to drive
] the corporations TO a system OF economy
which prevents the development Of the
country through which they pass 1t
was often the case that the citizens Of
a county would go TO any extent to get
a railroad 20 come into their locality,
/ but, once there, no one would be a friend
Of the road except, perhaps, the local
counsel. These remarks caused hearty
/ laughter.
SQUARE DEAL" FOR RAILROADS.
The President urged square DEAF
for the railroads that they might not be
! deprived Of reasona bic profits through
popular prejudice.
The hating and sporadic system Of
river and harbor improvements in the
past, he said. was the work OF the COM
mittees in Congress, which had respond
ca 10 clamor from home and to party
considerations. The time had come. he
/ declared for change in this system. A
hlne-foot intercoastal canal was one Of
| 'he projects TO which he referred as part
OF q definite system OF waterway i'm
| provement.
President Taft arrived IN Cor,,,a
christi on the revenue cutter Windoro
from his brothers ranch. After a short
automobile ride through the nrettiIv
decorated city he was taken 10 = grand
stand at the foot Of a natural terrace
where the delegates TO the wateyv,o -.
convention and the general public were
gathered School children were much q,
evidence. ''U'' l"
After his speech he went to the C-or,,,s
Christi Golf and Country Club and daa,-
Gated the new links by driving q bol1
from me first tee. The club presented
him a, bag Of nine golf clubs as a SON
Venir Of the occasion. The President ana
several members of his party dined at
me home of Mrs. II. NJ. King, whose
ranch contains 100000 acres.
The President returned to Gregory This
afternoon and left there at 500 O'Clock
Tonight for Houston and Dallas. He
MADE a brief speech ut Beeville tonight.
standing on the rear end Of his car.
SPEECH ON CONSERVATION.
In his address at Corpus Christi the
President said in part:
The subject of the conservation NJ orr
hauonaI Resources received its first I'M
! Pulse from that crusader and refornner
theodore Roosevelt. He pointed ont
! how wasteful we had been of those hlAsSN
lhes which God had showered upon the
country, and yet which had limitations
! Whlcn- n we did not respect. would milf
! lnately bring US 10 a famine in relation
! to many Of them.
! The programme OF conservation ;s q
/ long one. Il IS one in regard To which
We have taken some important stems
| OF the government forests we nave NM
about 20 per cent IN forest reservations
under control, so that we shall NOT suffer
! IRON forest hres or denudation by prl-
vate greed.
We have not taken all the steps that
ought 20 be taken, but they doubtless
VIII follow the adoption OF the model
( pan or the general government by tho
! state governments. This would preserve
/ the privately owned forests, which are
four times in size those Of the sovern-
ment.
We have not yet adopted the laws but
l nope 10 recommend them to Congress-
by which the government shall retain
some control over the use of coal lands
/ (stlll owned by the government and still
20 be put under private use), by which
the water power sites shall be segregat-
ed from other parts OF the public domain
and parted with only under such condi-
tons as shall enable the government to
procure proper revenue therefrom and
10 regulate the rates Of power charged
by those who shall take possession of
those sites and transform the water
power into electricity.
The most important topic of this con-
vention, because il is the immediate sub
Ject Of consideration, is the preservation
OF our waterways. II has long attracted
the attention Of the government, and