The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-11-02
Waterways Convention Decides to
Send Big Party to Washing
ton to Urge Con-
sress.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED
The Meeting in New Orleans Takes
the Suggestion From Presi-
dent Taft and Gets
Busy.

NEW ORLEANS, La, Nov. Fol
lowing the declaration of President
Taft that it was time to get down to !
brass tacks' the waterways conven-
ton last evening decided on the mo-
ton Of D. R. Francis of st. Louis to
send 600 lobbyists to washington this
winter to demand that congress pro.
vide the necessary FUNDS to deepen
the Mississippi. After day of ora
tory the suggestion that the delegates
begin an active campaign for funds
ito carry out the demands of the reso
lutions was received with great en- |
thusiasm. The 500 lobbyists, who are
also to act as delegates to the rivers
and harbors congress. will be named
soon by President Kavanaugh.
The resolutions of the waterways
convention, adopted by unanimous
vote in the afternoon, put it squarely
up to the president and members OF
congress to get busy on the proposition
to support the project, or meet the
opposition of every member of the
waterways association.
The gauntlet is thrown down In the
last paragraph of the resolutions, in
the following terms:
We, the delegates to this conven-
ton, representing more than half the
people and three-fourths the produc-
tive energy of the United States. do
hereby deliberately and armly, and in
the full realization of our duties and
responsibilities, demand and direct
that a definite and vigorous policy of
waterway Improvement, beginning
with the l.kes-to -the-gulf waterway, be
adopted and put in operation by the
national government without delay.
To the enforcement of this demand we
pledge our individual effort and our
united support, and we hereby pub
licly pledge our personal honor, each
for himself and each to the other, to
support no candidate for public Of
fee who will not unqualifiedly in
dorse and maintain that policy.
The resolutions declare that working
plans for a Ia foot channel made by
government engineers, are ready, that
the engineers have reported it feas-
ible, and for this reason all that re-
mains is for congress to authorize the
issuance Of bonds. 1t is urged that
these bonds be of small denomina-
lions, bearing low rate of interest, to
stimulate p .riotism in regard to the
undertaking by the consequent appeal
of the investment to all people in the
country.
Show Need Of Improvement
The resolutions urge that the ques-
ton of commercial need advanced can
not be solved more conclusively than
has already been done by the express
sion OF business men and law makers
throughout the United States, and
particularly in the territory more in
timately concerned except by the
channel itself That is, the need can
not be measured before the channel
is developed. For this reason, the
convention demands that the federol
government shall Immediately and
without delav commence the work
on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers
with effective development of the
tributary streams.
The conviction of the convention in
regard to the Improvement of the
Mississippi and Illinois rivers rests
upon five points, as follows:
l. The great extent of the Missis
sippi valley, comprising the most
productive part of the country.
2. The commercial need of this
II, -, -,
ly than any equivalent area in the
world
3. Willingness of the middle states
to meet their own development except
in SO far as they are stopped by the
constitution.
4. The Indifferent policy of the fed
eral government, which has allowed
traffic to gradually disappear from TIE
finest natural waterway system in the
world
5. The vast and vigorous popula.
ton comprising more than one-hali
the population of the United States.
IL Foot Channel Cardinal Point.
The convention condemns and repu
uidleS the poitioH VI Inc government
engineers report against the com
mercial expediency and need of the
lakes-to-the-gulf channel, stating that
annual transportation costs of fully
$1,000, 100000 absolutely demands the
opening OF a waterway from the
great lakes to the sea, not less than
IA feet deep, with modern transfer
and terminal facilities.
1t is held that the judicious develop