The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1909-12-02
CONGRESS
Of Waterways Advocates Will
Deal with Some Import
ant Problems.

Deal With Some Import
ant Problems.
WASHINGTON, D. C.. Nov. 90
The Atlantic Deeper Waterways
convention which closed its sessions
at Norfolk. Va, on Saturday the
goth instant, marks, for this year,
the end of the waterway conven-
tions that have for their purpose
the advocacy Of particular water
way project.
These conventions, beginning in
September on the Pacific coast, have
been held during the last three
months in practically every import
ant section of the country and on
December 8. 8 and 10 the special adj
vocates of different waterway i'm
1provement projects will assemble at
Washington, at the Sixth Annual
convention of the National Rivers
and Harbors Congress, to advocate
in contradistinction of what the .lo-
cal conventions have been held fo.,
a waterway policy and not water
way project.
At this convention there will come
together representatives from all
sections who. will forget for the time
being every focal project and uniting
will demand of the federal law
makers that a waterway policy be
lenacted and put into effect which
they know will in turn benefit their
particular project as they can demon
strate the worth of the same.
President Taft. who addressed the
Norfolk convention has attended
three different waterway conventions
in the last forty days and his ut
terances on the subject of waterway
improvement has shown depth of
understanding and study OF the sub
1ect possessed, If at all by few men
in public life. AT Corpus Christi,
Texas, he characterized tersely the
past dealing by Congress with river
and harbor improvements. "as a pro-
cession of, jerks" At New Orleans
he plainly stated that the worth of
any particular river or harbor i'm
Iprovement, no matter how strongly
advocated, must first be carefully
examined by board of United 4
States engineers and by them favor
ably reported upon before the gov
eminent can be. expected to begin
work thereon.
In this statement, he assumed the
exact position of the National Riy-
ers and Harbors Congress, for in its
advocacy of improved waterways and
the adoption of policy that would
provide the funds for same, 1T has
always held that every waterway
project should be endorsed by the
engineer corps and accepted by the
United States Congress before It
could participate in the benefits of
the policy advocated.
During the last five years there
has been a wonderful awakening OF
public sentiment toward the neces-
sity of improving the natural chan
ne.s of transportation of the country.
for with the growth of population,
and the consequent growth OF ton
mage to he moved the railroads
have proved themselves, under nor
NAL conditions. to be entirely made
quate; and the serious freight con-
gestion of three years ago, waic!,
practically paralyzed the industries
of the nation, seems in the renewed
prosperity and activity of the people
to he again rapidly approaching.
The waterway sentiment which
has been aroused has been done by
true friends of the cause who have
realized that until there has been
adopted and put into effect general
waterway policy, no special projects,
no matter how beneficial they may
be to Special sections of the country,
or how strongly advocated by the
friends thereof. would move for.
ward to completion any faster in the
future than they have in the past,
unless the old order was changed.
The National Rivers and ,HarborsI
Congress has been preaching. this
doctrine until every section of the
Union is now fully aroused to the