Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-28
Trip Over City Followed By Address
at Auditorium.
HOW WILL RIVER BE USE
Business Interests Of City Asked
Pointed Questions By Executive.
WHITE HOUSE LATCH STRING OUT
President, at Diner Attended by Cow
ernors, Invites Them All 20
the white House once
Each Year.

MEMPHIS. Tenn, oct n. - President
Taft and his party were delayed on the
river during the night, owing to the low
stage Of the water and numerous sand
bars and did not reach Memphis until
nearly II o'clock. When the flotlla did
appear with the Oleander. bearing the
president and his personal retinue. 800
yards In advance of the long column
flanked on either side by the tiny torpedo
boats the populace shouted a greeting,
which echoed and re-echoed across the
river
Mayor James Malone welcomed the presi-
dent and said the attitude of President
Taft towards the southern states presaged
nothing but good for the south during the
Taft administration.
kRresident Tafts reply was brief and to
Ne point He had, on previous occasions,
declared himstR upon the waterways prop
osition and today he repeated his declara-
tions.
Following the welcoming exercises the
president and the other members of his
party entered automobiles and we're driven
along the streets Of the city. The presl
dent and his personal escort left the main
body Of the automobile procession tenn
porariiy to go to the Young Mems Chris
tlan associations new building, the dedica-
tion Of which had been postponed for the
president to perform.
Addreas.Of President.
On reaching the auditorium where the
principal address OF the day was delivered
by the president. the chief executive was
given a tremendous ovation, which lasted
for several minutes.
Replying to Governor Pattarson's well
come, President Taft said:
II must ask you 70 keep as quiet as you
can so that you can hear me, for my voice
is just recovering from a Texas norther."
The president said he was proud to be
welcomed by the governor, whom he had
known as a member Of congress and whose
father he had also known when the latter
was in cungress,
He said he felt at home in Memphis, hav-
ing occupied the federal bench here He
added:
II had one Of your delightful citizens
serving with me in the tropics, where we
ate and silent and labored together and en-
toyed working for the Inhabitants of the
Philippines the island of the sea. I was
proud and happy to shake General Wright's
hand this morning when 1 landed at the
wharf,
Il have also drawn upon you for another
man, who is now serving as secretary OF
war Mack Dickinson. You people down
here have a way OF calling your men by
names, which the congressional records do
not disclose 1t was a long time before I
learned 20 call the secretary Of war Mack
Your city has grown and thrived in a
manner which Is truly wonderful. 1t has
come-well since there are no people from
Houston, Tex about, may safely say it.
the greatest inland cotton market in the
world.
Rivers and Railroads.
Now what has made II such? Not be-
cause Of your river facilities, but because
you are situated in the keystone position
to three states and are fed by them.
h6ish to impress upon you most emphau-
cally that you have grown, not by reason
OF your river facilities. but by reason OF
your railroad facilities.
And now that is why we are here. We
are here to see II we cannot add TO your
river facilities so that in the same length
OF time you may again double your growth
by increasing your river facilities, and as
you can see we are a pretty formidable
{body.
I'VE did not come down that river OF
yours simply for the enjoyment OF 1t. We
came down that river because we believe
we are now entering upon an epoch OF In
down that river and by arousing the peo-
pie we hope to increase the rive facilities
OF this city and every one in the great
Mississippi valley.
II do not believe there was any one on
any one OF those boats which came down
the river this morning, who will be able
10 watch the caving banks OF this side of
the river and see the snags and swamps
across the river, who can tell us how these
great problems are to be solved We must
first stir up the people and then give to
the problems that serious consideration
and thought and study which they de-
mand,
Problem of Improvement.
And now we have reached the next STEP
How are we going to do it? II you have
the river and It is not used then there is
no use in pouring millions into it to inn
prove It.
This proposition OF a fourteen-foot chan
mel requires much serious thought and
study, The entire river must be studied
by experts. And then when we are de-
termining upon methods to be used in
making a good flow OF water at all places
the year round, we must create terminal
facilities as well, Terminal facilities are
OF as much vital Importance as is deep
channel from the lakes to the gulf.
You men OF Memphis the business men
and manufacturers, are now shipping your
cotton and your goods by railroads even
when you have the river at your door
and you are not going to ship your cotton
and goods BY river even when you have a
deep waterway from the lakes to the gulf
unless you know that 1t will be OF profit
for you TO DO so. You have simply got TO
make the river transportation worth
whi
pa Board Ship
w.. president4a. ..,-. IRON
Hickman I< 70 Memphis was without
larantin,lad on s.oonh pnrA1