The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-09
GIVES PLEDGE TO WATERWAYS President Taft Speaks to
 Delegs|es- RECEIVES HEARTY RECEPTION Congratulaies the Rivers and Har-
 bors Congress. Declare. That Consres. Is Charged With Duty of Conseryins the Resources of the Cosntry-
 First Days ses-

strong endofSementAs or the poiicy Oi waterway improvement. President Taft stirred up much enthusiasm during the opening hours of the sixth convention of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress here today.
 Hundreds of delegates, representing
 every section Of the United States, fiil- ed the great banquet hall of the New
 Willard. where they sat under their
 state banners. Men and women dele- gates arose when the arrival of the
 president was announced and gave their visitor a noisy reception, con ciuding the demonstration with three cheers and tiger
 Upon being presented to the assem- blaze by Joseph E. Ransdeli. presi- dent of the Congress, President Taft spoke at length, dwelling upon his in terest in the policy of waterway im- provement and offered advice to the delegates upon methods for attaining the ends they seek.
 T congratulate this congress" said
 Mir. Taft, "on having brought the sub ject of waterways to such a point that the representatives in Congress from one end of the country to the other rec
 ognize it as a subject that calls for ac- tion They have not come to defi-
 mite conclusion as to the policy that
 ought to be adopted. but they have
 come to the conclusion that some poll
 cy must be adopted with reference to
 the development of those instrumentali-
 ties which nature has furnished for
 the transportation of goods and for the controlling of railroad rates.
 "You, In your declaration, say that
 you are in favor of policy and not in
 favor of any particular project l
 think that a wise platform to take
 and yet when 1t comes to the political
 enforcement and accomplishment or something you have got to get Into pro- iects. Ar Now. don't think I betray a secret when I say that the gentleman who l has most to do with the inittation or projects in Congress. Is fully charged 1 with the necessity for doing something | in the next Congress- to fofeshadow or rather to begin a policy with respect to those rivers"
 Advocates TmprOvements. After referring to various waterway projects in detail. the president con- tinued:
 "A wear ago President Roosevelt and were together on platform before fhe conservation of resources conven- ton. in which we both advocated the issuing of bonds in order that pro-
 feet for improving waterways when
 begun should be completed in q reason able time. Il Afii SUI 6 NSeA'tS~
 vocate of that theory
 1T believe that the government is entitled to as rapid e method of de- yeloping an enterprise and putting It through as private corporations, ana as they always issue bonds, or general- lv do, (Bome of them are fortunate enough to have to) in order to expedite the completion of these projects it would seem wise for tn enauon 10 oo so when 1t will accomplish the same result. "Tut I want to suggest a word or caution. You are going to encounter fin Congress great opposition 10 ths noIicy of issuing bonds right out or hand. You are much more likely to get E from Congress a declaration of policy in the shape of a declaration that certain improvement ought to be car ried out and spread upon the mihu.es of conrress in the form of a resoiu- ,ion or a declaration in a statute.
 .'What I advise you to do Is to get that deelaratiou Then when the time comes that political exigency shall pre- vent the appropriation of sumcient monev from the current revenue to put toe proper part of the project through the coming year or the coming two years as economy requiress-- then tne nuestion of issuing bonds will arise. | q Wnnl0 not have the bonds first for the reas- nn that vou will encounter the objec- lions and the receipt of the money VII develop the desire to be extraVagant.
 He Knows Congress.
 "rbat may not meet your views .but have thought 1t over and I know something about Congress. Know | ,vbere yeu are going to encounter op- noaftion and believe the best way IS inc natural way with those gentle men. You lead them on to oeciare m Tavor of Missouri improvement, in fa- vor of St Paul improvement; m IaVoF .ha Cairo to St. Louis Improvements: 1: ,n favor of the ohio improvement, all of which have been approved by the army engineers and get them recorded | in tbe statutes of this country as de- | cIarinK that those things are to De carried out and let them make their first appropriation from the revenue or | the country and then you have them where they must issue bonus .uniess | the revenue affords a sufficient amount zach year to carry that project on economically and with due rapidity. rrhe nresident was frequently inter-
 runtsd with applause and left the hall amid renewed cheering:
 Count Won Bernstoff. the German Amba ssador, spoke of the waterways of the German empire, arousing the utmost interest by the graphic manner 1 fin which ne showed their importance to the commerce of Germany.
 President Ransdell read his annual
 renort which not only reviewed the
 work that had been accomplished dur ing the past year. but gave encourage ment for the early achievement of the aims of the congress.
 The afternoon session was devoted
 to many speeches by delegates favor ing prompt action by Congress in nroyidinR plans and mean for water way improvement Those who. spoke | were; F. W. Crandall. of the Travel lers' Protective Association of tho United states; Senator Chamberlain, Of oregon; Albert Bettinger, of Ohio; GAernor Hadley. of Missouri; Governor weeks, of Connecticut and Represen-
 tatlves John Dalzell, of Pennsylvania and George Burgess, of Texas.
 All the speakers thought that wa terway improvement should be provid-
 cd for by Congress without delay, bond
 issues being the favorite method ad-