Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-26
PRESIDENT MEETS GOVERNORS,
coNGREssMEN AND FOREIGN
DIPLOMATS AT ST. LOUIS;
ALL BOARD STEAMERS.
OUTLINES IDEAS ON
RIVER IMPROVEMENT
TAFT DOES NOT BELIEVE IN PAR
CEILING OUT APPROPRIATIONS
TO DIFFERENT SECTIONS, BUT
IN PUSHING APPROVED WORK.

st. Louis, Oct. 25.--President Taft
today gave eight hours to st. Louis
and one and half to East st. Louis.
He arrived here this morning at
1927 o'clock. and is prepared to leave
at 5 o'clock this afternoon on 1900
mile voyage down the Mississippi to
New Orleans. After greeting a recep-
New Orleans, after greeting a recep-
ton committee of the Commercial
club of st. Louis at the union station,
the president was driven in an auto
mobile to the st. Louis club. When
President Taft appeared at the Twen-
tieth street exit Of the union station
he was greeted by the cheers of
thousands of people AT the club sixty
five commercial club members and the
presidents party had breakfast. The
president rested short time, after
which he was driven to the coliseum.
His ride through the streets was
continual ovation.
Meets Governors and congressman.
| At the coliseum. before making his
! address. he greeted 200 congressman,
/ thirty-three governors and score OF
senators who arrived this morning as
guests of the Business Mems league
for the trip down the Mississippi.
| Seven foreign ministers were seated
on the platform. Gov. Hadley intro
duced the president to a great audi
ence. Immediately after delivering his
speech, the president was escorted to
| the Planters hotel for luncheon, at
which were gathered nine hundred
guests of the Business Mems league.
Congressman. governors, senators and
foreign ministers We're also at the
| luncheon
At 1880 p. m. the president, escorted
by mounted police, was scheduled to,
cross the Eads bridge to East St.
Louis, where he was to meet Vice
President Sherman and Speaker Cam
non who had been the guests of the
East st. Louis Commercial club att
luncheon. The president planned to lay
the corner stone of the new United
States government building in East
st. Louis at o'clock, then return to
st. Louis and embark at o'clock on
the lighthouse tender Oleander for
| New Orleans.
Praises Commercial Club.
Addressing the Commercial club
| today the president referred to the
i visit of the representatives of that
body to Panama, and declared their
| favorable report on the work there
changed the views of the public on the
method employed and the character OF
work done and did more than any.
thing else to show the people their
money was being honestly spent.
In the address at the coliseum.
where he made the principal speech
4 of the day. Taft declared his stand in
favor of the issue OF bonds for carry
ing out approved waterway improve.
ment projects. This does not mean
the opening of the pork barrel" to
send back any particular member Of
congress, or to make any particular
section of, country prosperous during
the expenditure of the money. Taft
said he opposed any such a general!
bond issue of $500,000,000 or billion
dollars for waterway Improvement, the
money to be cut up and parcelled out
to different sections. His idea is to se-
cure sufficient money to carry out
1 quickly such projects as may be ap-
i proved after careful investigation and
which can prove their worth to the en-
tire country. In the course of his adj
dress the president mentioned Rooses
velt's name and it brought out pro-
longed cheering.