Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-11-23
TAFT WILL OPEN
THE RIVERS AND
HARB0RS MEET
5000 ACCREDITED
DELEGAtLS EXPECTED
Dozen or More State Governors
and Nations Representative
Men viii Attend Congress at
Capital.



Washington, d. c., November 90.
One of the busiest Offices at the
national capital these days Is that OF
the secretary's office of the National
Rivers and Harbors congress which
holds its sixth annual session in the
city of Washington December s. .
and 10.
Captain j. +. Ellison, Of Ciucin-
natl, who for Il quarter OF a century
has beer connected will the steamboat
service on the Ohio river as master
and owner and who is the secretary
of the National Rivers and Harbors
congress. is enthusiastic over the
forthcoming convention believing
that there will be upwards of 5000
accredited delegates in attendance.
President Taft, who has personally
inspected thousands of miles of wa
terways in his recent l3,000-mile trip
through the ~ontinenta united
States, viii open the convention with
an exhaustive address upon the needs
of waterway improvements and the
necessity for some fixed government
al policy rs to their development. In
addition to President TAFT the cabinet
will be represented by Secretaries
Dickinson and Nagel who will deliver
addresses during the sessions OF the
convention, which are to be held at
the New Willard. A dozen or moro
governors of states viii be present,
heading their delegations md many
OF whom will speak to the V
ton. Representative men OF the ma
ton interested in this great question
will be present to add the weight or
their influence to this movement.
The National Rivers and Iiarbors
congress was founded in Baltimore
Precipitation OF fifty millions q year
for the internal development of the
rivers, harbors and canals Of the
United States, to be distributed on
the various projects which have the
approval Of the engineer corps OF the
army. Should current revenues he
! insufficient to make an appropria-
| ton possible then the congress urges
the authorization OF five hundred
millions of waterway n at n low
rate oil interest, with the same con-
ditions surrounding these bonds as
surround the Panama canal bonds.
said bonds, however are not to be 49,
sued unless current revenues prove
inadequate to carry out such n
policy. II is not contemplated that
these bonds shall be issued at any
one time but only as the needs or
waterway improvements make their
issuance imperative.
The National Rivers and Harbors
congresses was founded in Baltimore
in october 1901 at which some six
hundred delegates were present. Az
the last convention of the congress-
held in the city of Washington last
December nearly thirty-five
delegates were present which gives
Secretary Ellison ground for his pre-
diction that five thousand delegates
will be present next month AT the
sixth annual convention Of the con-
gress which in importance to the
business and agricultural interests OF
the country Is second only to the con-
gress Of the United States.
Since the foundation Of the gov
eminent and including the last river
and harbor bill there has been spent
on all the Interior waterways of the
country including harbors. X and
canals less than 5000, 900, 900. Con-
trast that amount of money spent in
the 1873 years OF our history with the
freight onnage carried in the year
1908 alone which shows that there
were upwards of three hundred mil
lion tons of freight carried on YES
sells of the United states and the i'm
portance of this great economic ques-
ton becomes paramount.
when it is remembered that the
waterways of our country-rivers.
canals, lakes and coastal channels
have an aggregate length OF between
$4,000 and 10000 miles and ONLY
about 25,OO0 miles is now used for
navigation the possibilities of vastly
Increasing the opportunities for wa
ter transportation are apparent.
Secretary Ellison urges upon All
commercial bodies. boards of trade
chambers Of commerce, mayors
Of cities and governors of states the
importance of sending delegates to
the sixth annual convention of the
National Rivers and ,Iarbors con-
gress which will mark the cuimina-
ton of the movement for q broad
and comprehensive policy on the part
of the general government towards
our rivers, harbors and canals.