The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-10
Stir Is Caused In Final Opsn Meeting of the VateT-
 ways Congress
POLICIES OF CLIFFORD
 PINCHOT ARE IND0RSED
Secretary NageI Adds His Voice to the Others By Declaring The Nation Must Build National
 Waterways.

Washington, December 9.-Indorsement of Qifford Pinchot. chief forester and a plea for appropriations that will permit of the drainage of swamp lands, caused a stir in the last big open meeting of the national rivers and harbors congress tonight.
 Mrs. Amelie Tomkies, president of the woman's auxiliary, the aim of which is to beautify the banks of navigabe streams and canals, was one of the speakers at the night session. She made no reference to the feud between Secretary Ballinger and the chief forester. but she announced that the auxiliary had decided Mir. Fin chot should be upheld by Congress in his work. Her venture on thin political ice was received with cooIness.
 Maj. D. A. Dapay. secretary of the Ma tional Drainage association, insisted that improvement of the streams of the coun- try was absolutely necessary His state ment brought applause which was stilled when he went on to advocate such im- provement because 1t would drain 4O,0Oo,- 900 acres of swamp land, every foot of which was a menace to public health.
 Delegates Speak.
 An experience meeting in which more than dozen delegates to the convention told what they thought about the policy of improving the waterways of the United States and the methods that should be pursued In bringing about the end desired by them all, characterized the meeting to- day
 One of the strongest pleas for national improvement of the flowing highways of the nation was made by Secretary Nagel of the department of commerce and labor, who declared that the very nature of in- terstate navigation made the national gov ernment responsible for providing suit able water courses for carrying on com merce. Neither private enterprise nor state appropriations could be permitted to improve these highways of the nation, he said, so that if they were to be looked after at all the general government would have to do 1t.
 Representative J. Hampton Moore, president of the Atlantic Deeper Wa terways convention, stirred up an un- usual degree of enthusiasm So long was the applause that greeted his ap- pearance upon the platform that he good naturedly besought the presiding officer not to deduct 1t from the time allotted him. He showed how the east had been outstripped by the middle and far west in transportation facilities, which during the car shortage of 1906 and 1907 caused the people of the east to awaken to the need of an inland passage along the Atlantic coast as a means of placing the industries there more nearly upon an equality with those of the more progressive citizens of the middle west and on the Pacific coast.
 Senator eurtons Speech.
 One of the most interesting speakers Of the day was Senator Burton of Ohio He admonished them not to allow any sectionalism to enter into their efforts for waterway improvement and eau toned them against abusing the rivers and harbors committee. J. A. Cullinan, chairman of the New York canal commission, indicated his dissatisfaction with what the national government had done for waterway im- provement by showing that while Con gress had appropriated $40.00O 900 for such work in New York, the state it. self had appropriated 1850, 1000, oe0 for that purpose.
 Herbert Knox Smith, commissioner of corporations, suggested to the delegates the wisdom of providing in anything they should do that the local commun- ities to be benefited by waterways i'm provements should provide suitable ter minals, which would not only be nec- sary, but would act as check upon any tendency against communities seek Yng improvements in which they would be willing to invest in part.
 Other addresses that called for en- thusiastic receptions during the day were by President Cameron of the Farmers National congress; ex-Gov- ernor McMillan of Tennessee, William c. Fitts of Alabama. Dr. J. F. Crowell of New York, F. w. Johnson of the United Commercial Travellers of Amer ica, and Representative John Small of North Carolina.
 A resolution indorsing the work in- augurated and successfully carried out by the chief forester of the United States Clifford Pinchot, in the use, de- velopment and preparation of the great forest resources of the United States was passed by the woman's rivers and harbors congress today.