The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-01
Secretary of War Approves
Of the Project and Tells the
Convention of the Nature of
The Great Project.
KENTUCKY GOVERNOR
is HURRYING HOME
Fears BIoodshed at an EIeC-
tion-Speaker Cannon To-
day Wired Approval Of Pro-
ject, Causing a Surprise.
american News Service)


(American News Service)
New Orleans, Nov. IA feature OF
today's session of the Deep Water
ways convention was an address OF
Secretary Of War Dickinson.
Gov. Wilson Of Kentucky left for
Frankfort today, because of threaten
ed bloodshed over an election in
Breathitt county.
Speaker Cannon today wired from
Illinois approving of the waterways
project. This was surprise to the
convention.
Dickinson's Address.
Secretary Dickinson said in part:
The War Department only exc
cutes the will of the people when ex-
pressed in legislative form. It's
functions have no bearing upon mi
tiating or controlling legislation, ex'
cept in so far as data ascertained, and
expert opinions given. by it's engi-
neers may aid those who are charged
with the responsibility OF, or those
who influence, legislative action.
The powers and duties of the
Army Engineers are fixed by Con-
gress, and they are prohibited from
making original investigations or rec
ommending new projects or schemes
of Improvement.
Is Big Project.
"The proposed improvements to
navigation that now absorb our inter-
est are of stupendous magnitude, and
present questions involved in much
controversy. Heretofore the work
has been detached, spasmodic, inter-
mittent. 1t has largely depended upon
the activity OF merely local influences.
Now all the forces of public sentiment
in the States bordering on the Mis-
sissippi and it's tributaries have con-
Nerged, and there Is a conclamatory
cry for inaugurating and carrying to
prompt execution comprehension
and permanent plan that will give to
that region the highest development
that it's natural transportation facili-
ties, aided by the best engineering
skill. can afford.
1.-The work is too vast and costly to
be improvidently undertaken. 1t SO
vitality affects the fortunes of SO large
a territory that no immature plan, nor
one that will not be acquiesced in by
the country, should have your advo-
cacy.
Must Be Cautious.
LAS was said by the President. who
was then Secretary of War, in his ad-
dress before this Association in Chi
cago: A plan should not be adopted
until fully confirmed by expert opin-
ion and careful investigation, but
when it is adopted. when it's utility is
made certain, then it is neither econ
omy to the Government in the matter
OF expenditure, nor is 1t a benefit to
the people to delay the furnishing as
rapidly as it can be economically ex-
pended. OF the full amount Of money
needed to make the Improvement a
useful and completed thing
The Government has already de-
voted approximately six hundred mil
lions for the improvement of water
ways, Of which two hundred and eight
millions were expended in the Mis-
sissippi Valley.
It Was Investigated.
This question has been considered
by board of engineers created by
authority of Congress. Three of them
are from the army and two from civil
life. All are experienced in MISSISSIPPI
pf River problems. 1t is said by ex-
perts that it has been demonstrated
that coal and iron can be carried by
vessels with profit, at a rate approx
nately less than one-tenth of the av-
erage rate of freight per ton, per mile
earned by the railways Of this country.
provided the vessels are of large size,
there is a great volume of traffic, and
the waterways have practically unlim-
tied facilities.
Coal is carried from Pittsburgh to
New Orleans by river at less than
two dollars per ton. and sugar has
been carried back at a cost of two
dollars and thirty cents per ton, as
against a rail rate of six dollars. 1t is
said that the saving to the nation by
transportation on the Great Lakes
was over one hundred million dollars
for the year 1906. The improvements
projected by the New York canals are
based on the expectation of reducing