Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-26
TAFT OPPOSES
PORK BARREL
President States His Position Regard
ing Improvement Of Internal
Waterways.
AGAINST GENERAL BOND ISSUE
Ea3h Proposed Improvement Must
Stand on It's Merits,
FAv0Rs DEFINITE PROJECTS
SPEAKER Cannon, in Address, Endorses
Presidents Position.
START MADE DOWN THE RIVER
President, Governors, Senators, Rep
rescnthtiveH ana other Officials
Leave for New Orleans
Late I'm Afternoon.
Ea;h Proposed Improvement Must
Stand on It's Merits,
FAvoRs DEFINITE PROJECTS
SPEAKER Cannon, in Address, Endorses
Presidents Position.
START MADE DOWN THE RIVER

81. LOUIS, Oct 25.-waterway improve
ment, as a part OF a national policy OF
conservation Of the streams the lands ad-
joining them and the forests at their
sources was the theme of two notable
gatherings In this city and in East St
Louis H. today, in which President Taft
Joseph q, Cannon. speaker Of the national
house OF representatives. and Governors
Deneen Of Illinois and Hadley Of Missouri
took leading roles. Vice President Sherman
was also at the East 81. Louis meeting, his
presence making the occasion perhaps the
first that so complete roster of official
dom has gathered at any place west of the
Aieghenies.
Cabinet members, United States senators
anA representatives and ministers from for
egN 4overnments listened to the speeches
at one or both Of the meetings. Added to
these were state and municipal officials Of
all degrees and close to 100, 600 citizens from
The ranks who had fiocked to the two cities
to see and hear their officers.
Tonight the president, the speaker, the
diplomats legislators and several hundred
representatives Of commercial organlza-
tons Of Illinois Missouri and other states
in the Mississippi valley. are speeding down
the Mississippi river aboard a flotilla Of
paddle-wheel steamers bound for New Or
leans. There they are to assemble with
hundreds of others In the annual conven-
tion of the Lakes-to-the-Guf Deep Water
way association. whose pet project is the
creation OF permanent fourteen-foot chan
mel from the mouth Of the Illinois river to
the Gulf Of Mexico.
President states Position.
While the presidents utterances on
waterway Improvement were not far
reaching regarding the creation of the
fourteen-foot channel as those of President
Roosevelt on a similar occasion-and there
fore not entirely cheering to the advocates
Of an immediate commencement of the
work--yet the fact that Speaker Cannon
unquaiifiediy endorsed the chief executive s
stand regarding bond issues for such pro-
iects, gave these same advocates encour-
agement The general good was the test
which the president prescribed for the un-
Iertakng Of ambitious works.
Let us take up each project on its
merits" he said, 'end determine by all
means at our command whether the coun-
Try in which that project is to be carried
out is so far developed as to Justify the
expenditure Of a large sum Of money and
whether the project will be useful wher
done
when YOU have determined that on the
general principle of good to the entire
country, then am In favor Of doing tha
work as rapidly as It can be done, and
am in favor II issuing bonds to do It,"
Cannon Agrees with Taft.
Referring to this sentiment which wal
uttered in a meeting at the St Louii
coliseum at noon. Speaker Cannon address
ak he dadi
new federal building in East st. Louis late
in the day, said:
'It Is a safe and sound outlining of
proper policy for us to pursue in this grea
Sniadle west We have improved the Mis-
sslppi in the past and we shall be i'm
proving II 100 years from now, when w
shall need az car water courses We II
this generation will do our part wisely. w
will not throw money into rivers to b
washed into the sea. We shall do tina
first that needs doing most"
The speaker endorsed the levee system
congratulating East st. Louis and II
neighboring towns on the completion of tn
river barriers, the dedication of whic
fbrmed part OF the days celebration. II
predicted that the Mississippi would we
be permanently confined to its bank
throughout its length and urged that tn
states adjoining the stream share the cos
with the national government.
Illinois VIII Help,
Just previous TO the utterances by Mi
Mr.. Cannon. Governor Deneen of llinoi
had issued an official statement In whic
he asserted that the coming extraordinar
session OF the general assembly of ths
state would bo expected 10 enact legisls
tion enabling the state officers to under
take S20OO0OO0 worth OF waterway in
provement provided by the bond issue r'
Gently authorised b. the electorate.
Il believe that the Illinois general AZ
sembly win crystallize into action the sent
ment shown here and which will be show
everywhere from st. Louis to New orlear
during the next few days" said the GOV
ernor ''nlinois should maintain it's leade
ship in waterway Improvement Had tn
stato's policies been pressed by Il
federal and state governments heretofor
there would have been enough water pow'
developed in our public streams to pay Il
he entire development OF our domest
waterways"
Governor Hadley, while introducing Pre-
dent TAFT to the Coliseum audience, urge
that the development Of river channels I'M
nayigabio ways would do much towar'
settling the transportation problem whiS
question, he said, was the greatest befo
the country today He said that while u
rivers first and the railroads later we
able to care for an the freight and passei
gers offered 10 them, that today neith
-san DO II alone. Increased facilities Il
public carriers, he urged as a crying nee
Taft Makes Four Speeches.
President Taft made four speeSnes toda
nut the sengthiest consumed less than hs
an hour. At breakfast as a guest OF Il
Commercial club OF 81. Louis he reterr
TO the part that body took in the Inspe
d kion OF the Panama canal by business O
ganiEations several years ago. speakil
about fifteen minutes, At the Coliseu
he discussed waterways for about ten mi
utes longer than that, but at lneheon wi