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


Lakes.to.the.Gulf Deep Waterway As
sociatlon today. Mr. Dickinson urged
that caution be exercised IN the plan
for the proper lakes-tothegulf water.
way, saying the work was top vast
and costly to be improvldently under
taken 1T so vitality affects the fer.
tunes of so large a territory that no
immature plan, nor one that win not
be acqulesced in by the country
should have your advocacy the speak
er declared.
lie added Our people will under
take any expenditure that they are
convinced is well justified
"There Is conclusive evidence that
something should be done as early
as practicable on a large scale. for
utilizing the transportation facilities
with which nature has provided u.s. ="
In beginning his address, Secretary
Dickinson said
The proposed Improvements to nav
igatlon that now absorb our interest
are OF stupendous magnitude and
present questions involved in much
controversy. Heretofore, the work
has been detached. spasmodic inter
mlttent It has largely depended up-
ON the activity lf merely local in
iluenees Now an the forces of the
public sentiment IN the states border.
ing on the Mississippi aud its tribus
taries have eonverged. and there Is
a co amatory cry for inaugurating
and carrying to prompt execution
comprehensive and permanent plan
that viii give TO that region the high
est development that its natural trans.
portatlon facilities, aided By the best
engineering skill, can afiord
''As was said by the president, who
was then secretary of war. in his adj
dress before this association in Chi.
cago
A plan should not be adopted until
confirmed by expert opinion and care.
ful investigation. but when II is adopt
ed, when It's utility is made certain,
then Il is neither economy to the gov
ernment In the matter of expenditure
nor is Il benefit to the people to de
lay the furnishing as rapidly as Il can
be economically expended, of the full
amount of money needed to make the
Improvement Il useful and completed
thing
iasty and unsound conclusions VIII
be discredited by sober second thought
Il would be a calamity If the magnla.
cent enthusiasm Lesi0d It's move
ment which It has taken so many
years to evolve aud concentrate !
should be mere hrutum fulmen. as /
It viii be, unless the plans i'm which
1t finds expression carry the contie
tion that they are sound and promise /
results commensurate with the pro. /
posed expenditure
The government has aheadv de.
voted approximately six hundred mil.
lions for The Improvement OF the
waterways. of which two hundred and
eight millions were expended in The
Mississippi Valley The advocates Of
the proposed Intra. Costal Waterway
from Boston TO Florida and thence 10
the Rio Grande covering distance OF
about twenty.six hundred miles. con
Meeting up navigable streams IN esse
and in posse Of approximately 27.600
miles. are not somnolent but IN
state Of the highest activity They
viii be insistent for appropriations
The aggregate-cost of internal improve.
ments now advocated IS estimated at
about five hundred millions OF dollars
Those that assure the best and surest
results for the outlay viii come to the
front There may be cooperation.
but there viii probably be rivalry for
appropriations.
The resolutions Of the Atlantic
Deeper Waterways association while
expressing sympathy with an merl.
lorious movements for the improve.
meni Of the waterways. specifically re.
ferfing to that proposed from the lakes
10 the gulf pledges cooperation only
upon a plan within reasonable limits
Of cost. We can carry ourselves of 4
our own feet by enthusiasm. but can.
not stampede the judgment Of the d
country. We must meet the test Of H
cool critical analysis Resolutions 4
and assertions will not carry the day a
The opinions Of the unselentlfc. how
ever loudly and positively proclaimed y
are not going to settle a matter Of e
such complication and gravity. We