The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-25
NO PORK BARREL.
President Taft Makes Clear His
Position
In Relation to Bond Issue for
Improved Waterways.
THIS is NO JUNKET,
He Declares, in Speaking of the
New Orleans Trip.
Mention of ROOsevelt's Name
Brings Forth Cheers.

| st. Louis, Oct. 25.-On the eve of
beginning his journey down the Mis-
sissippi river to New Orleans as a part
Of the exploitation for a system of
deep inland waterways, President Taft
declared in an address at the Coliseum
here today that his stand in favor of
the issue of bonds for CARRYING out
| approved waterway improvement
| projects does not mean the opening of
a pork barrel'' to send back any par
ticular member of congress or to make
any particular section of the country
prosperous during the expenditure of
the money.
Mr.. Taft said he opposed any such
general bond issue as that of $500. .000,-
| 600 or a billion dollars for WATERWAYS
improvements, the money to be cut up
and parceled out to different sections
| His idea of a bond issue is to secure
! sufficient money to carry out quickly
such projects as may be approved after
careful investigation and which can
prove their benefit to the entire
country.
The president arrived here at 1927
4. M, and was the guest of the Com
mercial club at breakfast. He made
his principal speech at the Coliseum,
where he spoke during the campaign
last fall before the big building had
a roof.
Wire From Mrs. Peclzham
Postmaster General Hitchcock and
Secretary of Commerce and Labor
Nagel are here and they will accom-
when he starts at 5 p. m. President
Taft received a telegram from Mrs.
Peckham today announcing the death
of her husband, Justice Peckham of
| the supreme court. and he sent a mes
| sage of coincidence in reply.
! Mr. Taft has given no thought to a
| successor.
| The president was introduced at the
| Coliseum by Governor Hadley. His
voice was very husky, but with the
close attention given to him by the
great audience, he managed to make
himself heard throughout the struc-
| ture. The president found a quick re-
sponse from his audience when he
began by saying:
| I'VE are on the eve of a great jour
ney down the Mississippi river, and
cursed be he who calls it a junket
The journey as Governor Hadley has
said has reference to the problem OF
| transportation and railways and
waterways. 1t is however. only part
of a still greater movement in
augurated by Theodore Roosevelt and
properly called by him, the conserva-
ton of our natural resources"
Cheers for Roosevelt.
| The mention of Mr. Roosevelt's
|
The president went into a brief dis
cussion of the subject of conservation
| and said the people of the Mississippi
valley were particularly interested III
the Improvement of land waterways
and the preservation of the forests as
a means of putting an end to the
! floods which were carrying so many OF
| the farms in Missouri, Iowa and other
states down to the delta of the
| Mississippi.
1 4l,-4
ment of the United States had been
! exceedingly generous in parting with
| its land in the past and that the time
had come for the adoption of new
policy in that regard He spoke of the
| necessity for new legislation regarding
monopolies from gaining control
| Coming to the subject of waterways
Mr. Taft declared that while he did
lnot wish to criticize, there was nc
denying of the fact that the I'M I'M
| proyement of waterways had been
! carried forward in haphazard fash-
ion and that new method should be
adopted.
Not For Political Purposes.
"And right here added the presi-
dent, II want to clear away suppo-
sition which, 1 am afraid has LOGGED
in good many minds Inc process
| for irrigation and for the improve
ment of waterways in the future are
not to be for the purpose of d1Stribut-
| ing pork to every part OF the coun-
try. Every measure is to be adopted
| on the ground that it will be useful to
the whole country They are not to
| be adopted for sending certain con-
gressmen back to Washington or for
making certain parts of the country
profitable during the expenditure OF
/ the money. We should take up every
| comprehensive project on it's merits
and determine whether the country
where the project is to be carried out
! has so far developed as to justify the
enormous expenditure of money and
| If it will be useful when done. When
we decide in favor of project, I be-
lieve in issuing bonds to carry it to
completion as rapidly as possible. 1t
has been proposed that we issue bonds
for $500 100000 or $1,000,000, 900 and
cut it up and parcel the money out
| in this and that section of the coun-
try. 1 am opposed to any such prop
osition. Because it not only smells of
the pork barrel but would be a
pork barrel
| Speaker Cannon, of the house OF
representatives, who some time ago
| declared that he was opposed to any
issue of bonds to improve the water
ways, sat just beside the president,
while he was speaking
Down the River.
| st. Louis, Oct. 25.-Fresident Taft
divided his time today between two
cities. giving eight hours to St. Lou:;
and one hour and a half 10 East 81
Louis He arrived here this mornins
at 7:Z7 O'Clock on the Iron Mountain
railroad from Texas and prepared tc
leave at o'clock this evening on 12O
mile voyage down the Mississippi rive
New Orleans.
/ After greeting the Commercial ab o
st. Louis at the Union station. the presi
dent was driven in motor car to tn,
ST. Louis club His route to the st
Louis club from the Union station
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