The San Francisco call., 1909-10-31
PRESIDENT PLEDGES
AIDfOR WATERWAYS
Taft Tells Delegates to Decide
What Is Wanted and They
Can Command Help
Favors Bonds for Ohio River
Improvements That Will
Cost S63,0OO,00O


NEW ORLEANS. Oct. S0.-President
Taft celebrated the successful termina-
tion of his trip down the Mississippi
river today by addressing delegates to
the convention of the Lakes to the Gulf
Deep Waterways association. which has
as its object the improvement of the
Mississippi river and it's tributaries.
On the arrival of the president. dele
gates and visitors sprang TO their feet.
Many mounted their chairs in order TO
get a better view of the bowing, smil-
ing big man who was working his way
through the double line of secret serv
ice men and police officers. He stood
on the platform a moment and then
bowed his appreciation of the applause
President Kavanaugh presented him
with a handsome gold badge and then
introduced Governor Sanders of Lou
isiana, who in turn introduced the pres
ident. The applause broke out again
and was reinforced with some vigorous
Yale yells.
DANGERS RUN ON RIVER
The president began his address by
having a little fun regarding the trip
down the river He said the dangers
had all been run" and that the fleet
had come through without the loss Of
a single man. Taft taunted the con-
gressmen and governors for having re-
sorted to the humliating device OF
land transportation at one stage Of the
journey.
The president declared no progress
had been made in river navigation in
this country in the last 40 or 40 years.
Waterways of this country, Taft de-
elared, must be used eventually to
carry the bulk of heavy merchandise.
The presidents declaration that he
favored the issuance of bonds for car
rying out the Ohio river improvements
as one of the approved projects of in
land waterways called out burst of
applause.
The Ohio river Improvement will cost
$63. 900, 900. Taft said he also favored
bonds for all other improvements. in
cluding the Mississippi, just as soon as
a feasible project can be decided upon
and can be shown to be necessary and
justihable.
The Ohio river gives the bulk of
business to the Mississippi. the presi-
dent declared. and every Improvement
of tributary tended to increase the
value of the great water highway to
the gulf
CALLS FOR ACCOUNT OF NEEDS
The president told of improvements
to the Mississippi on the way down.
from a further sloughing off at the
outside The engineers say they need
81, 600, ,0Oe more year to carry on this
beneficial work as it ought to be car
ried on, and that it was a shame con-
gress did not give it to them. In con-
clusion President Taft said:
1T is now up to you,. gentlemen, to
decide what you want. what it will
cost how long it will take and what
the result will be. Once that is done,
you can command, not ask"
LUNCHEON WITH ARCHBISHOP
From the moment of his arrival at
1890 o'clock this afternoon the presi-
dent was kept on the go until past
midnight After his address before the
waterways convention the president
became the guest of the city. He
Iunched with Archbishop Blenk at the
latter's palace, attended two football
games, had a dinner given in his honor
at the Pickwick club tonight and went
directly from there to gala perform
ance of Les Huguenots' at the French
opera house. A little supper at a ia
nous French restaurant after the
day to a close.
Tomorrow the president will attend
the Unitarian church in the morning,
will have long automobile tour,
broken by luncheon at Jackson bar
racks, and will attend a sacred concert
on the Tulane campus in the afternoon.
PLANS FOR COMING WEEK
The president retires on board his
train tomorrow night and leaves early
Monday morning to begin the last 10
days of his long tour.
Postmaster General Hitchcock left
the presidents party tonight for Bos-
ton to vote in the elections there next
Tuesday. Secretary NageI will go
from here TO Port Arthur, Galveston
and Houston.
Secretary of War Dickinson will re-
main in New Orleans to make an ad-
dress before the waterways convention
Monday morning and will rejoin the
president later.
PRESIDENT ENJOYS TRIP
Taft thoroughly enjoyed his four and
a half nights and FIVE days on the Mis-
sissippi river, and although he has
learned much of the difficulty that must
be encountered in attempting TO con-
troll this great waterway. he seemed
today TO be just as enthusiastic as ever
in the belief that the Mississippi can
be made to handle all Of the commerce
assigned to it.
The torpedo boat flotilla. which. fear
ing falling water. had been scurrying
downstream ahead of the presidential
feet was picked up by the Oleander As
miles above this city this morning
The four grim little vessels followed in
the wake of the. presidents flagship for
time. but the smoke from their fun
nels clouded the entire feet and they
were ordered to steam ahead at fun