The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-12-09


as to enter upon project for the con-
struction of water channel without
at the same time providing for those
public terminals that are absolutely
vital to the transportation use of a
channel"
Upper Mississippi.
Mr.. Allen, representing the Upper
Mississippi Improvement association,
said in part: -
I'VE are profoundly in favor of a.
general plan for the development of
the waterways of the United States
comprehensive plan which will in
clude practically every naMgable
stream within the country.
Railroad transportation is In such
strong hands and has been so success
fully carried out that it stands the
equal If not the superior of any sys-
tenn of transportation on earth. A
thorough and comprehensive scheme
of waterway transportation should be
established.
There must and should he co-oper-
alton between the railroads and water
transportation. 1t is undoubted that
some friction might arise if railroads
We're asked to cooperate in rate max
ing upon commodities where a por-
ton of the route by water is probable.
but those are all minor details which
the government has the power to ar
range and enforce.
First seek the kingdom of water
ways and waterways transportation
and all the other transportation
blessings will be added unto you."
The Travellers.
w. A. Johnson, representing the
United Commercial Travellers of
America, said in part:
I'VE believe that these natural ar
teries Of commerce, our great rivers,
should be made and kept navigable
for large vessels by the government.
and that this work should be done
upon bond issue large enough to in
sure Its thorOughness. We believe
that no other expenditure of the peo-
pies money would be SO universally
popular and satisfactory because none
other could be SO universally bene-
ficient.
There are half million or more
commercial travellers in this country.
They constitute the greatest civilizing
agency of this or any other age.
These men believe that natures high
lakes of the land. If utilized as they
should be. and would open up new
and greater fields of enterprise for
our rapidly growing population.
ut has been said that the progress
Of nations can be measured by the
extent and perfection of their means
of transportations. BY this standard,
how do we measure up? Surely in
this great land of ours, so rich in ev-
cry element of material wealth, with
unbounded possibilities of CONNER
cial progress, we should attain, and
retain commercial supremacy of all
the nations of the earth
Mr.. Fits was the spokesman for
the "Mississippi-to-the-Atlantic Gulf
Coast" group of state. He said:
These same southern states have
$4,000 miles of railroad so there are
about one-half as many miles of nav
igable waters as there are railways.
Already the export trade of the gulf
and southern Atlantic ports is increas-
ing in astonishing proportions. Wa
ter's highways and natures highways
belong to the people. Railroads are
the artificial highways and must be
subject to the government permitting
them to do business. If canals and
lakes are of benefit to this country
how much more so is the Improvement
of these 5000 miles of coast water
ways and $4,000 miles Of navigable
streams. This inland and coastwise
navigation should be enlarged with
out delay for defense as we'll as for
commerce.
These states fortified by natural
resources and confident of the portion
they must obtain when the changing
front of the world has accommodated
itself to the completion of the Panama
canal: and the front door of the Unit
ed States has come to the Gulf of
Mexico, are ready to accept results
and go forward"