Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-11-04
TAFT ON WATER Y. III: R.
GREAT RIVER CONVENTION
OPENED ENTHUSIASTICALLY
IN NEW ORLEANS.
PRESIDENT Is FAVORABLE
His Speech Arouses Enthusiasm of
the Immense Gatherine-WilI not
Stand for "Pork Barrel"

New Orleans-With rush that fair
ly carried the delegates off their feet
with enthusiasm, the fourth annual
convention of the Lakes-to-the-Gulf
Deep Waterways Association opened
The speeches, the informal talks and
the cheers left no doubt as to what
the people of the Mississippi valley
want, and they we're promised the as
sistance of the leaders of the nation in
obtaining it,
Status of the Project.
In opening the convention President
Kavanaugh set forth briefly the pres
ent condition of the deep waterway
work as follows:
l. The sanitary district Of Chicago
has built the deep waterway, practi-
cally to Joliet, nearly 40 miles, and
,$60.000,000 have been spent thus far
on the work.
g.. The entire route Of the lakes-to-
the-gulf deep waterway from Joliet to,
New Orleans, through the Des PLANES
river, the Illinois river and, the Mis-
sissippi river, has been surveyed IN
der direction of congress by United
States engineers, who have officially
reported, to congress that the building
of the deep waterway is feasible.
8. The people of the state of ILL
nois have adopted a constitutional
amendment providing for a bond is
sue of $20,00O,o00, the money to be
spent in constructing the deep water
way southwark from Joliet.
4. A bill introduced by United
State Representatives Richard Bart
holdt, of Missouri, is now pending in
congress, providing for the Issuance
by the United States government of
bonds to the amount of s500,000,00o,
the money to be spent in construct
Ing this deep waterway from the lakes
to the gulf and other meritorious pro-
jected river improvements.
S. 1t is intended to ask the Sixty
first congress to pass bill providing
definitely that the United States gov
eminent undertake the construction Of
the deep waterway from the point
where the Illinois work will end, TO
LILO 1uAA VI lM0AlCO.
President Pledges Support.
OF course, the feature of the day
was the address of President Taft in
the afternoon. His voice was worn
out by the succession of speeches he
has been called on to make, but the
delegates heard enough to cause them
to cheer wildly the promises of sup
port given by the chief executive. He
declared that if the 14-foot plan proved
feasible and advisable, the present adj
ministration would favor the issuance
of government bonds to defray the
cost
At the same time Mr.. Taft made it
plain that he would not stand for
any plan to make a. tpork barrel' of
the project. He said he opposed any
such general bond issue of s5OO,ooO,-
900 or $1,0O0,O0o,O0O for waterways
improvement, the money to be cut up
and parceled out to different sections.
he declared that the Improvement Of
waterways had been carried forward
in haphazard fashion in the past,
and that new method should be
adopted.
I'VE should take up every co1npre-
henslve project on It's merits" said
MT. Tart 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 wheh
ne When we decide in favor of
project, ! believe in issuing bonds to
carry it to completion as rapidly as
possible. 1t has been proposed that
we Issue bonds for s5o0,oOo,O0o or ST.
ooo,ooo,oo0. and cut it up and parcel
the money me- out in this and that section
OF the country. i am opposed to any
such proposition, because it not only
smells Of the pork barrel but would
be pork barrel"