The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-23
Broad Gauge Policy By GoV- GTnmGnt Advocated h Speech
 At Corpus Christi
PLEA MADE FOR SQUARE
 DEAL FOR RAILROADS
President Taft Dedicates Golf Club and Dimes With Mrs. King, the Biggest Land Owner in the
 State of Texas.

Corpus Christi Tex. October 2.-An- nonneing himself as an enthusiastic ad- vocate of deep waterways. when such pro- Jects can be shown to be practicable and necessary, and declaring that the piece meal procession by jerks" policy of Congress in the past with reference to such improvements should be replaced with definite general plan for opening up great avenues of commerce. President Taft aroused the delegates to the eonven- ton of the Interstate Inland Waterways league, in session here today. to an en- thnsiastie demonstration of approval.
 Continuing the President said that in addition to extending commerce. deep in land waterways would serve as the best means of controlling railroad rates. In the meantime, however, he urged the amendment of the interstate commerce laws to make their provisions more ef- leetlVe. MT. Taft added, however that he did not favor radical legislation; that his purpose merely was 10 keep railroad com panles within the bounds of law and down to reasonable rates He said the roads should be encouraged In this con- nection he took occasion to refer to the Aaet thdt III some localities there is dis position to do injustice to railroads and to drive the corporations to a system of economy, which prevents the developnent of the country through which they pass. me President said it was often the case that the citizens of a county would go to any extent to get railroad to come into the county. but once there not a friend Of the railroad could anywhere be found except, perhaps. the local counsel The remark called out hearty laughter.
 Square Deal for Railroads.
 The President turned serious again. however and urged a square deal for the railroads. that they might he deprived of reasonable profits gh prejudice. A
 The President declared that the haItfrr sporadic system Of river and harbor inn provements in the past was not due to inc army engineers. but was the work of tha committees in Congress. who had respond- ed to elamor from home and 10 party con siderations. The time has come, he de- clared Tor change in this system A nine-foot intercoastal canal was one of the project to which the President re- ferred to part of definite system of waterways improvement
 President Taft arrived here at ii m and after a short automobile ride through the prettily decorated city was taken to grandstand placed al the foot of a natural terrace, where the delegates to the waterways convention and the general public were gathered. The school chill dren were much in evidence too and the President made an immediate hit with his audience by asking that three tiers of seats immedia tely in front of him be vacated by the early corners to make way for hundred or more veterans of tha Confederate and Union armies who had been assigned to more remote section Of the inclosure
 The day was exceedingly warm.
 Warm Day for Speech.
 When he began to speak Mr. Taft asked his bearers to possess themselves in peace and to console themselves by the thought that before he was through ba would be considerably warmer than any who had to sit in the direct rays of the sun.
 The President came over from hi, brothers ranch at Gregory on the reve- nue cutter Windom.
 When he had finished his speech he motored out to the Corpus Christi Golf and Country club and dedicated the new links by driving ball from the first' tee The club presented him with bag of nine splendid golf clubs as a souvenir of the occasion. The President and several members of his party dned at the home of Mrs H. M. King. the largest woman land owner in the United States, whosa ranch here comprises 1900, 900 acres The President returned to Gregory at 3 o'clock this afternoon and left there at S:so for Houston and Dallas. He made a brief stop at Beeville at 10 o'clock tonight and spoke from the rear-end of his car. The President had intended speaking at Bee vile on the way down 70 Gregory from San Antonio but through mistake he failed to do so.
 The President enjoyed his vacation im- mensely.
 Conservation of Resources.
 In his address here today the Presi- dent said:
 The subject of the conservation of our natural resources received its first im- pulse from that crusader and reformer, Theodore Roosevelt. He pointed out how wasteful we had been in the past of those blessings which God had showered upon our country and yet which had lmita- tions, which, if we did not respect them, would ultimately bring us to a famine in respect to many of them"
 MT Taft said he hoped to recommend laws to Congress by which the govern ment shall retain some control over the use of coal lands still owned by the gov- ernment. and still to be put under private use, by which the water sites shall be seg- regated from other parts of the public do- main and parted with only under such conditions as shall enable the government to secure proper revenue therefrom and to regulate the rates Of power charged by those who shall take possession of those sites
 Most important Feature.
 "rhe most important feature of the con servation programme to this country is the preservation Of our waterways" said the President. We have invested about s60 600. 600 in our waterways ana we have done very good work with reference to sea harbors. and we have done some ex- oellent work. when the work was speci- ned. In helping to make our rivers more but the trouble with the work IS that 1t has been done largely by piece meal It has not carried ou. theory or a great project with reference to the of a great avenue of trans portation, and the time has arrived for ---~~~>-~~>~~~---~~>-
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