The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1909-11-05
By Associated Press

New Orleans, La. Nov, 2.-"rhe de
mands Of commerce fully warrant
large expenditure TO connect our Great
Lakes and the gulf with waterway
Of suitable dimensions for al present
and prospective needs. National
pride promps It strongly We need
this connection IN order 10 permit
free interchange by cheap water trans
portation between the innumerable
cities and towns Of the Mississippi
Valley and those OF the Great Lakes.
Thus Representative Joseph f.
Ransdel. of Louisiana, president Of
the National Rivers and Harbors con.
gress, opened his address last night
before the Lakes TO the Gulf Deep
Waterways convention
"The tracks OF railroads are ,so
standardized declared Mr. Ransdell,
that car loaded at New Orleans
can 30 anywhere In the Union with.
out change and our nayigable waters
Will never accomplish their full mis-.
sion until they have similar stand.
ards and connections"
Reference was made by him to pro.
ieets existing and proposed for CON
Meeting the various waterways and he
declared that we may reasonably ex
pect to see In the near future a stand.
ard system OF canals and rivers that
will permit freight to move by water
without breaking bulk from nearly
every point IN the Union east Of the
Rac,:iss 10 every other point just as
is now done by rail
This was contamination deyoutly
to be wished because It would increase
transportation facilities so that the
country would never again suffer
from freight congestion and it would
materially cheaper freight rates MIR
Ransdell urged that cordial support be
given to the National Rivers and Ilar.
bors Congress whose motto was. "A
policy, not project" and whose wa
terway policy II adopted by congress
would be broad enough for all merl-
torious projects to be carried to sue
cess.
AT the opening of his remarks Mr..
Ransdel spoke OF his deep interest In
the great project that had called the
convention together
eAll ! possess and the property and
homes Of those I love the best" he
said. eare In the wake Of the rivers
fearful floods TO me, to my closest
friends. and 10 many thousands in
Louisiana the levee question is up
pormost whenever we speak of water
way appropriations, and as the most
eminent engineers agree that the sur
est way 10 deepen the river channel
and al the same time protect the leyee
Is by a system of reyetments to pre-
vent the banks from oaying, it Is
plain / have a double interest IN a
deeper river. Moreover. the great city
of New Orleans the pride OF Louis.
lana, would probably derive more bene-
ft from this project than any other
city. Self interest state pride aud
patriotism all impe me 20 do my ut
most for IL Is consistent with duty to
other sections as a member Of the
Rivers and Harbors Committee which
legislates for the waters Of the whole
nation
The attitude Of leading railway men
towards broad. liberal policy Of wa.
terway improvement was Ia his opin.
ION. one Of total indifference o. quiet
~ antaeonistie This he declared
was great mistake on their part "for
Il would bo much wiser for them IA
cspouse actively the cause Of improy
cd waterways. slight study viii
show that nearly all Of our great
cities and large centers of manufact
uring and business are ON nayigablC
watereourses and receive the bene
fits Of water competition in cheaper
ed freight rates and increased faeili
ties and yet II Is in these localities
that the railroads do their most re
muneratIve hsiness If our grea
river SYSTEMS we're improved thor
oughly SO that Navigation thereon wal
first class. freigh, rates would b.
much cheaper but there would b.
such large growth q population an,
business OF every kinn the cream o
which would 60 to the alfoads tina
they would profit very hrgely there
by and as a business proposition ]
would pay them 10 have We water
ways fully developed
But IN order 10 insure the test us
OF waterways. great care mus b
taken to preserve the terminals on 81