Arizona republican., 1909-08-09
WATERWAYS IMPROVEMENT  Great Issue Now Before the
 People THE ARTERIES OF TRADE
Movement For Bringing the Ocean to the Farmer and the Program Which Has Been Devised For Its Accomplishment.

Washington. Aug. S.-Now that the atmosphere has cleared with respect to the tariff. men interested in public affairs are awakening to the fact that d great, new governm ental movement with a monstrous force back of it has come into existence and that the big issue that faces the American people in the immediate future is the inn provement of the waterways. There has crystalized in the immediate past d sentiment that has long had place in the conviction of the people to the effect that transportation facilities were inadequate to handle the grow ing business of the country, and just now there is taking shape a thing that will center the attention of the people for twenty years to come, and beside which such enterprises as the Panama canal, which has been regarded as Herculean. sink into insignificance in comparison. All the waterways of the country are to be dug out within the next score of years, and the ocean is to be brought to the farmer.
 The primary indication to the effect that this thing is actually to be done lies in the fdct that congress has ap- pointed a point commission of nine uscD to visit f1- latiOHs of Europe. w1ere similar task has been accom- pli~bed. and to bring back a report as to the manner of its doing. This com mission was not instructed to report on the advisability of doing this thing, but to lay down plan for its accom- plishment. Congress wants to know the manner of digging out the streams, having already made up it's mind as to the advisability of it
 The second great influence that Is being brought to bear upon the imme- diate setting about the task of actual omplishment is that of the present administration. MT. Taft has given repeated intimation of his intention to push inland waterways improvement above all the conservation measures that have found favor with the people Recently he issued a statement to Chicago magazine, in which he stated that he was in favor of the broad pol icy of conservation, but in this he placed waterways above all else. Then he received an invitation from the Mississippi valley people, who are ia vorinE the project of improving the channel from the lakes to the Gulf, from Chicago to the mouth of the Mis- sissippi. It asked that he attend the convention to be held in New Orleans in the early fall, and that he travel down the Father of Waters from Mem phis on that occasion. MT. Taft has accepted the invitation.
 Then came the invitation of the At lantic Deep Waterways association, which has in mind the establishment of an inland water route from Boston to Beauford, x. C., the biggest project in the nation next to the Mississippi. This invitation was for November I7-20 at Norfolk, and was likewise accepted Finally there came an invitation from the National Rivers and Harbors con- gress.
 Then finally there comes the off cial endorsement of the governments regularly accredited representatives appointed for the purpose of making a report as to just what were the con ditions with reference to water trans portation Herbert Knox Smith of the bureau of corporations, department of commerce and labor, has been at work for two years in an attempt to