The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-11-24
Interest Keen in Coming
Convention of Rivers and
Harbors Congress,
DELEGATES FAVOR
SYSTEMATIC PLAN
Inadequate and Haphazard Legis-
lation by Congress Will Not
Satisfy Advocates.

Interest is rife here at this time in
the coming convention OF the National
Rivers and Harbors Congress, which
meets December s.
Interest seems to have been awakened
everywhere throughout the United
Stats by the holding of large local con-
ventions for advancing the interests Of
the several projects that have been
urged on Congress for the last ten
years.
These conventions have been held In
the Columbia river region, the San Joa-
ouin and Sacramento region, on the up
per and lower Mississippi rivers, which
are to be treated distinctly in the Ohio
valley. on the Tennessee, on the Gulf
coast. and recently at Norfolk on the
Atlantic seaboard. Great bodies of men
have assembled at all Of these conven-
lions representing both river and har0or
cisies and have expressed themselves
as heartily in accord with the tenets Of
the National Rivers and Harbors Con
gress. which embraces all Of these sew
eral organizations.
Broad Policy Wanted.
The policy advocated by this national
prxanization is that Congress shall.
when once these various projects have
beer adopted. provide adequate means
for their speedy completion. None OF
Committee Of the House and Endorsed by
Congress until they have been demon
strated TO be meritorious and have been
passed on by the Rivers and Harbors
Committee o fthe House and Endorsed by
she boards of engineers to which they
must be referred. There can. therefore.
be no possibility of the old section and
log-rolling policy being established
What is desired by this great national
organization is that there should be a
comprehensive and systematic plan
adopted with provision made by Con-
rress for large and annual appropria-
tions. Just as now allowed for the army
or the navy. Furthermore. the advo-
Gates OF this policy show that the cur
rent revenues are not ceDable CT pro
~idins money In sufficiently large sums
20 complete these projects within any
reasonable time, and that therefore Con-
Kress should provide for them by au-
tborizing the issuance Of bonds.
A Wise Demand.
The wisdom Of this demand may be
seen from the following, according to
the Rivers and Harbors Congressman
members.
They show that such projects. for eN-
ample as the upper Mississippi river
from ST Paul to the Missouri. the Ohio
from Pittsburg TO Cairo. and the Ten
ness from Knoxville 20 Paducah. have
been adopted and authorized BY Con-
Eress as a whole. and vet while the
upper Mississippi project is entirely
surveyed and the estimates all made
sgEregating S20.ooo 600 the Ohio river
has been sanctioned and Endorsed by
the engineers calling for s63. 600 90 vet
at the present rate OF devoting small
amounts to them every three years
thew cannot be COMPLETED within forty
wears. while. II such projects as these.
? well rs a numbe rof the great harbor
projects whose estimated cost IS known
apS which have been adopted by Con-
creSs as projects. could be taken care
OF by a bond issue, as was the Panama
canal. they can lie placed IN commission
within six or seven years.
Five Thousand Expected.
Five thousand representative men Will
be present this year az the meeting OF
the Rivers and Harbors Congress 10
urge upon Congress the importance and
economy Of adopting such measures for
xhe relief Of the country by thessc i'm
provements as are necdful Some Of
the most prominent and influential men
OF the nation have been selected as
Epokesmen, and the President will open
the first days session. he being entirely
in accord With the general proposition
for waterway Improvements.
The National Rivers and Harbors
Congress hopes TO receive some definite
action at the hands Of Congress in the
coming session. And Il is fully ex-
pected that the bond issue viii be au-
1hOrized amounting TO as much as may
be necessary 10 take care Of such
projects or parts Of the general plan as
ere now ready 20 be pushed to COM
pletiOn.
i is estimated that the amount
needed is about s300,001,O00. And this, 81
must be thoroughly understood does
not include such projects as the At
lantic Deeper Waterways and the Lakes
20 the Gulf fourteen feet project be-
couse they have not yet been placed
under the continuing contract system.