Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1909-04-12
CONGRESS HAS STOPPED
THE DEEP WATERWAY
PROJECTS
Whole Work VIII Wait Until
Commission investigates
and Makes Re-
port.
ARMY ENGINEERS
WILL ALSO HELP.
Problem of Converting Rivers and
Lakes Into Transportation
System viii be Thor
oughly Stud
led.

Washington d. c., April 19.--It
seems to be the determination of
Congress to delay all plans for in
ternal waterway Improvements until
the commission appointed to consid.
cr the subject shall have made a re-
port. This determination probably
win hold even if the report of the en-
gineers now under consideration is
found to be favorable to the project
of constructing a deep-water channel
from St Louis to the Gulf of Mex
leo, thus practically establishing the
entire feasibility of the project for a
ship canal from Chicago to the mouth
Of the Mississippi.
There is a feeling that, while the
engineers may find it possible to con-
struct deep water channel through
the valley. they may fix such a price
for the construction as to make the
country hesitate before undertaking
the work. Congress- under the ad
vice of Theodore f. Burton and 9TH
er men who have been intimately
associated with rivers and harbors
work, never has shown enthusiasm to-
ward the ship channel project that
Speaker Cannon. although coming
from state which would be benefit
ed greatly by the building of ship
canal, has been held from a Jealous
support of the plan by his undoubted
belief that the cost will be great and
that the whole matter should be APP
preached cautiously.
The Inland Waterways commission,
IL
without the sanction of Congress. has
been superseded by the National Wat
er-ways commission, named and APP
proved by Congress, and for which
$4,000 has been appropriated for eX-
pense purposes. This commission al
ready has formulated a plan for the
conduct of its own work, having in
mind at the same time the future
waterway appropriation work of Con-
gress
If the commission carries out its
announced plan there will be a com
prehensive study of the whole inland
waterway situation, with view to
adopting a scheme of procedure upon
which might be written the words
make haste siowely." senator Bur
ton is the chairman of the newly con
stituted commission. He never has
said natly he is opposed to the lake
to-the-gulf deep waterway. His at
ttude simply has been that of a man
who must be convinced, and also as
that of one who perfers to convince
himself. His duties on the commits
sion will give him the convincing op-
portunity.
The pressure brought to bear on
the rivers and harbOrs committees of
the House to recommend an appro-
priation for beginning work on the
lakes to- -thegulf channel was respon-
sible largely for the appointment OF
the national waterways commission
by Congress. This is its membership:
Senators Burton, Gallinger Piles.
Smith of Michigan; Simmons and
Clark of Arkansas; Representatives
Alexander, LOrimer, Stevens of Min
nesota, Wanger, Sparkman and Moon.
There are on the committee only one
or two enthusiastic supporters of the
middle western plan for the valley
ship canal. LOrimer, of Illinois has
been from the first an ardent support
er of the project, and he has given
more time to the securing of an open
than has any other man in Congress.
He believes firmly that the report Of
the engineers on the Mississippi chan
mel will be favorable.
1t probably would be better for the
Iakes-t the gulf channel II there
were more middle westerners on the
commission. Apparently it was not
chosen with a first view to aiding the
plan for the greatest internal water
way improvement under considera-
ton. 1t is said, however, that every
member Of the commission is open
minded on the subject. and that un-
less the army engineers report is
such as seemingly to preclude the
possibility Of constructing a channel
down the Mississippi, the project will
be one of the first to be given the
commissions consideration.
II is the present intention of the
members of the waterways body to
visit the localities in which the peo-
rIe are asking for channel improve
ments An "on the spot investiga-
ton will be made in each place Wis
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