Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-09
Washington Bureau of
The Ottumwa Courier,
Washington, D. G., Oct. Z.

1t is getting to be about as plain as
anything In the future can be, that In
all it's wide range of aspects, the
question of conservation is going to
be one of the biggest and most alb
sorbing in the public minds for years
to come, So many departments OF the
same general subject are demanding
attention, and dividing into opposing
camps the public men who must de-
termine the national policy toward
the question as whole, that while the
long and animated controversy is re-
garded as imminent, the solution OF
the different problems is not at all
apparent.
For example, the advocates of inter-
nal waterway development are getting
ready for a great onset on congress.
They have heard that Senator Burton
lis out of sympathy with them, and
are girding their loins fer determln-
ed attack on his leadership OF con-
gressional policy on waterway mat
tiers. Burton Is experienced, able and
aggressive; and he has no disposition
to surrender his domination OF the
river and harbor legislation. AS head
of the waterways commission he is In
the way to continue his potent infiu.
ence over congressional policy, despite
that he can no longer rule the house
committee on rivers with the iron
| hand which held it plant to his vii!
when he was it's chairman.
The Mississippi valley people are
| determined not to accept as final the
arbitratement of the engineering
board which reported against the pro
| iect of fourteen foot channel from
| Chicago to the gulf. They declare that
in order to get fair consideration fol
that project they must unhorse Bur
ton; and to do this they are gettine
their ammunition ready. 1t is charged
that the original report of the com
mission was favorable to the fourteen
foot project, but that, after 1T hat
/ once been completed, it was revised
as a result of the influence headed b.
Senator Burton, and turned into al
/ adverse document. They protest
moreover, that it is an unfair presen
tation of the subject; and, headed b.
Senator Lorimer Of Illinois, they ar
organizing to make hard fight to re
verse that Judgment. In the course o
4 this fight they will make determines
attack on the long-accepted theory o
the infallibility of Burton. His polio,
in handling waterways in the pas
will be put under the glass. 1t will b
charged that he has enjoyed repute
ton which he didn't deserve. 1t vii
be alleged that vast sums have bee
wasted in river improvements becaus
of the distribution of the approprif
tons of political basis. The conduc
of the work by the army engineer
will be especially criticized and Jane
J. Hills proposition that the Who'll
business be placed under a great 81
pert commission, will be made tn
, basis of an effort at reform in admir-
istration.
VI The Mississippi river people declar
, that in fact the expense of creating
| fourteen-foot channel to the gulf wi
: not be nearly as great as has been a
' legged. They say that with the million
/ the state Of Illinois has voted for wor
/ on the Illinois river, and with til
, work already accomplished on tt
L lower reaches of the Mississippi, thei
E will be necessity for major improv
! ment works only on the section
$ about zoe miles from Cairo to S
!. Louis.
I Far from being convinced that
n fourteen-foot channel is deeper ar
more expensive than necessary, al
: that nine-foot channel would ser7
every purpose, the central valley {
e CARNATIONS have been studying Il