Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-11-05
DEEP WATERWAY IS
DEMANDED By ALL
GREAT RIVER cow TioN
OPENED ENTHUSIASTICALLY
IN NEW ORLEANS.
PRESIDENT FAvoRS PROJECT
His Speech Arouses Enthusiasm Of
the Immense NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Delivers Address on Con-
seryation.

New Orleans, Oct. 31.-With rush
that fairly carried the delegates Off
their feet with enthusiasm, The fourth
annual convention of the Lakes-to-the-
Gulf Deep Waterway Association
opened this morning. The speeches,
the informal talks and the cheers left
no doubt as to what the people OF
the Mississippi valley want, and they
were promised the assistance of the
leaders of the nation in obtaining it.
When William X. Kavanaugh, of
Missouri, president of the Association,
called the convention to order in the
Athenaum, he faced an assemblage
that included hundreds of the most
prominent citizens of the middle west.
In the number were the governors OF
the Mississippi valley states, numer-
Gus senators and representatives,
members of state legislatures, delega-
lions named by state and municipal
executives, and members of industrial
and semi-pubiic organizations without
number. To assure the association
Of the support of the nation as o
whole, there were present President
Taft, Vice.President Sherman, Speak
er Cannon and several members of the
cabinet.
Status of the Project.
In opening the convention President
Kavanaugh set forth briefly the pres
ent condition of the deep waterway
work as follows:
1. The sanitary district of Chicago
has built the deep waterway, practi-
cally to Joliet, nearly 40 miles, and
$6O,00O,0O0 have been spent thus far
on the work.
2. The entire route of the lakes-to-
the-gulf deep waterway from Joliet to
New Orleans, through the Des PLANES
river, the Illinois river and the Mis-
sissippi river, has been surveyed un-
der direction of congress by United
States engineers, who have officially
reported to congress that the building
of the deep waterway is feasible.
8. The people of the state of ILL
nois have adopted a constitutional
amendment providing for bond is
sue of $20,000,000, the money to be
spent in constructing the deep water
way southwark from Joliet.
4. A bill introduced by United
States Representative Richard Bart
holdt, of Missouri, is now pending in
congress, providing for the issuance by
the United States government of bonds
to the amount of s5O0.OOo,O 900, the mon
ey to be spent in constructing this
deep waterway from the lakes to the
gulf and other meritorious projected
river improvements.
S. 1t is intended to ask the Sixty
first congress to pass a bill providing
definitely that the United States gov
eminent undertake the construction of
the deep waterway from the point
where the Illinois work will end, to
the Gulf of Mexico.
President Pledges Support.
OF course, the feature of the day
was the address of President Taft
this afternoon. His voice was worn
out by the succession Of speeches he
has been called on to make, but the
delegates heard enough to cause them
to cheer wildly the promises of sup
port given by the chief executive. He
declared that if the 14-foot plan proved
feasible and advisable, the present ad
ministration would favor the issuance
of government bonds to. defray the
cost.
At the same time Mr.. Taft made i
e.,
plan to make pork barrel" of The
project. He said he opposed an!
such general bond issue of $500,000
900 or s1,OOO,OOO,OO0 for waterway
improvement, the money to be cut VI
and parceled out to different sections
He declared that the Improvement o
waterways had been carried forwart
in a haphazard fashion in the past
and that new method should b.
adopted.
Part of Greater Movement.
II believe in the deep waterway,
said the president. Il am for it, an
! shall use all the power that pc.
sess in doing what may be accom-
plished to give you citizens of thi
great valley what you SO earnestly d.
sire. 1t is all part of still grea
er movement inaugurated by Thee
dore Roosevelt, and properly called b
him the conservation of our nation;
resources.
"The projects for irrigation and fc
the Improvement of waterways in tn
future are not to be for the purpos
of distributing pork to every part
the country. Every measure is to |
adopted on the ground that it will |
useful to the whole country. The
are not to be adopted for sending ce
tain congressman back to Washin
ton or for making certain parts
the country profitable during the e
penditure of the money.
I'VE should take up every compl
hensive project on its merits and c
termine whether the country whe
the project is to be carried out has
far developed as to justify the ent
nous expenditure of money and if
will be useful when done. When '
decide in favor of project, belle
IN issuing bonds to carry it to co
pletlon as rapidly as possible. 1t h
been proposed that we issue bonds +
$500,000,000 or 81 900. 100000, and c
it up and parcel the money out in tn