The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-09
BACKING BECOMES STRONGER
Ocean Is To Be Brought To Farm
ers' Door.
Great Projects being ChrystaIi.ed In
to Definite Plans for Improvins
streams Of Country for Trsns-
portstion Purposes.

washington. Aug. s1(SpeciaD-
Now that the atmosphere Is clearing
with respect to the tariff. men inter
ested in public AFFAIRS are awakening
to the fact that great. new govern
mental movement with a monstrous
force back Of 1t has come into exis-
tence and that the big issue that faces
the American people in the immediate
future Is the Improvement Of the wa
terways.
There has chrystalized In the imme-
diate past a sentiment that has long
had place In the conviction of the
people to the effect that transporta-
fion facilities were inadequate to ham
die the growing business Of the coun-
try and just now there is taking
shape thing that will center the at
tention of the people for twenty years
to come and beside which such enter
prises at the Panama Canal which has
been regarded as Herculenian. sink
into insignificance in comparison.
All the waterways of the country are
to be dug out within the next score
OF years and the ocean is to brought
to the farmer.
Cemmission Named.
The primary Indication to the effect
that this thing Is actually to be done
lies In the fact that Congress has APP
pointed a joint commission of nine
men to visit the nations OF Europe
where a similar task has been accom-
piished and to bring BACK report as
to the manner of it's doing. This
commission was not instructed to re-
port on the adWsability of doing this
thing but to lay down q plan for its
accomplishment. Congress wants to
know the manner of digging out the
streams. having already made up its
mind as to the advisability of 1t.
The second great influence that Is
being brought to bear upon the imme-
diate setting about the task OF actual
accomplishment Is that OF the present
administration. Mr.. Taft has given re-
pentej intimation Of his intention to
push inland waterways Improvement
above all the conservation measures
that have found favor with the peo-
pie.
Recently he issued statement to
System. Chicago magazine. in which
he stated that he was In favor of the
broad policy of conservation but in
this he placed waterways above all
else. Then he received an invitation
from the Mississippi Valley. people
who are favoring the project OF i'm
proving the channel from the lakes to
the Gulf, from Chicago to the mouth
Of the Mississippi. 1t asked that he
attend the convention to be held in
New Orleans in the early fall and
that ne travel down the Father Of
waters from Memphis on that occas-
ion. Mr.. Taft has accepted the invita-
sion.
Accepts Many Invitations.
Then came the invitation of the At
lantic Deep Waterways Association
which has in mind the establishment
OF an inland water route from Boston
to Beaufort, North Carolina, the big
gest project IN the nation next to the
Mississippi. This invitation was for
Nov. 1920 at Norfolk. and was like
wise accepted Finally there came an
invitation from the National Rivers
and Harbors Congress. the parent and
national society of them.
Then finally there comes the official
endorsement of the governments reg
uiarly accredited representatives ap-
pointed for the purpose OF making q
report as to just what were the con-
jitions with reference to water trans
portation. Herbert Knox Smith OF the
Bureau of Corporations, Department
OF Commerce and Labor, has been at
work for two years in an attempt to
establish the facts az to Just what
conditions existed as to water trans
portation in this country. In his find
ings which have just been made pub
lie, he says:
Commerce Demands Change.
sour increasing commerce demands
that our waterways be made an active
part of our transportation system.
Our inland rivers are not SO now.
Waterways themselves and their con-
ditions must be improved that they
shall carry a share of the nations
trafio proportioned to their real pos