The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-28
.SOUTHERNERS WELCOME TAFT President At Memphis And
 Helena. ENJOYING HIS RIVER TRIP Tennessee City Was Thronged
 With Visitors. Governors of Two states Speak Words of Cordiaiity and Chief Execu- tive Responds in Terms
 of Heartiest
 Praise.
ENJOYING HIS RIVER TRIP

Helena, Ark., oct. 2T.-Fresioent Taft's river schedule went all to pieces today owing to the inability of the
 vessels following his flagship. the
 oleander, to keep up to the designated speed.
 The President tried to stay with the
 fleet as far as he possibly could and
 delayed his arrival in Memphis three
 hours this morning in order that the
 boats carrying the twenty-six Cover
 nors and the IF Congressman, as well
 as other vessels carrying delegates to
 the Waterways Convention in New Or leans might land at the same time. Leaving Memphis one hour and half late this afternoon the Oleander had to
 press forward at top speed in order to reach here at D. m., two hours be- hind the scheduled time. In making
 the run. the Oleander left all of the other vessels of the fleet far astern.
 The delays have wrought havoc with the schedule for the remainder of the trip.
 Leaving here nearly three hours late tonight, the President will not reach vicksburg until 6 o'clock or after to-
 morrow night, that being his next stop. Even to make that city by p. m.. the President will have to leave the other
 vessels behind.
 It had been MT. Taft's decision to
  and he may be denied that pleasure be-
 cause of the delay. It had been in-
 tended that the President should be
 welcomed once more to Arkansas by Governor Donaghey, but the Governors boat was an hour behind the President
 and the introductory speech was made by Mayor Martin. The President spoke briefly from stand erected in the cen- ter of the city.
 The night air and the bad condition of his voice did not offer favorable cir cumstanees for a long address. 1 Mir. Taft received a noisy and demon | strative welcome in Memphis today. As
 his boat dre% up to the ievee. the | place wak kaek with people. The l roofs of the stan buiidingss fronting the | river, also were crowded. The delay l on the arrival caused much confusion l in the Western Tennessee metropolis. however, and two of the Presidents
 cabinet ministers came near getting | left on the return from the auditorium,
 the automobile plan having gone all awry in the confusion of so many dis
 tinguished guests landing in the city | at the same time.
 | The President spoke first at Memphis l at the Y. M. c. A. building and af- terward made waterway speech in the auditorium in which he pointed out a | few plain truths. He declared that
 
 | Mississippi river already afforded were l not being taken advantage of. He also | pointed out the hard work that would | have to be done to start system or commerce even after the deep water way is secured.
 President sdm Honrsc. The steamer Oleander was nearly an
 hour ahead of the remainder of the fleet and President Taft's immediate party was all that alighted here. The | President Is still very hoarse and 1t was with great effort that he spoke. | He referred to the fiotilla jestingly as | a travelling show, booked for full per l formance and regretted that one part | of the show was called upon to fill the entire engagement. The trip down the river, according to the President, has | amply demonstrated the inadequacy | of present river traffic to compete with
 the railroads and is good argument for 1 deep waterways.
 Speaking of the occasion of the trip the President continued:
 some will say that the trip Is mere ly A free junket, but those who know understand that the time of the men who are making the trip is too valua- ble and they could not afford to spend 1t except to impress upon the country what is one of the most important ls-
 sues of the time."
 Here he used the lOC&l punt oS ."
 illustration of the necessity Of deep waterways.
 "Congress has the power to improve
 the river ways. They have spent much
 money but have not entered into
 general plan. We all realize that If we do anything effectively and economical- ly it must be a general plan. IT It IS proven practical. believe 1t ought to
 be done and done quickly. We ought
 to treat 1t like we have treated the Panama canal issue. But not in piece
 meal. Let us center on general plan and Issue bonds"
 As the fotilla of hoats was leaving here shortly after 9 o'clock tonight.
 President Taft went aboard the steam
 CT Quincy for dinner as the guest or the 117 Congressman on board. The Oleander remained within hailing dis- tance of the Quincy while the dinner | was in progress and took the President again, on board while the boats were under way, twenty miles below here. short Stay in Memphis.