Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-10-23
TAFT STANDS FOR
INLAND CANALS
President Strongly Defends Water
ways Scheme in Address Made
at Corpus Christi.
FAvORs BOND ISSUE POLICY
Says Modern System Will Be Means
of Controlling Railway Rates.
PRESENT WORK DONE BY JERKS
Asserts Competent Board of Engineers
Should Investigate Pending Action.
DENoUNCEs ALL RADICAL LAWS
vents to Give Everybody n square
nc-I ard Advises Against Laws
Designed TO Cripple the
Railroads.
Says Modern System Will Be Means
of Controlling Railway Rates.
PRESENT WORK DONE BY JERKS
Asserts Competent Board Of Engineers
Should Investigate Pending Action.
DENoUNCEs ALL RADICAL LAWS

r~-,rUS CHRISTI. Tex. Oct. 22.-In an
a rss hero today before the Interstate
l. and waterways league and the citizens
Of Corpus Christi President Taft announced
himself as strongly favoring a permanent
nad rractical system OF inland waterways
as means OF controlling railroad rates,
and said he favored the policy OF issuing
bonds for carrying out a practical system
OF improvements
Up to tha present time Mr.. Taft de-
clor d. congr IS has provided for improve
ments in piec meal fashion and the work
on Improvement has been nothing more
than "a procession Of jerks" Before any
project Is entered upon, the president de-
clared II should be thoroughly considered,
invg fgated and reported upon by board
of ESp.leers as to its feasibility and de-
Once the Improvement is declared desir-
able and the communities in which it is to
serve. can convince congress that their
growth has been such as to justify the
expenditure OF a large sum of money to
take care of the increasing trade. Bonds
should be issued 80 that the improvements
might be carried into effect at once and
the benefits OF It be quickly secured.
Inland waterways and Panama Canal
The president said he could see no diff
ference between improving inland water
ways and digging the Panama canal Each
project should be separately considered to
determine whether or not 1t is worth doing.
The president said he recognized the dan
ger OF issuing bonds indiscriminately and
said the people must not lost sight of the
fact that some day the bonds must be paid
But he declared his great faith in the con-
servatism of congress and the American
people and he did not believe they would
go into the Improvement Of waterways
by means of bond issue on hnphazard
basis. He said that more than 100000, 0ot
have been spent on the Improvement OF
waterways in the past, Instead Of working
toward a great avenue OF commerce. how
ever the money had been spent in piece
meal projects, provided for by congress in
response to olsmor from home or as a
matter Of party considerations
sponsors for the Policy.
The committee OF the senate and Of the
house are responsible for the policy which
had been pursued, said the president, Az
long as the Limitation OF the home clamor
and party considerations continue, only
piecemcal work can be expected. The mat
ter should be looked into from a business
point Of view, which, atter all ne declared
to be a patriotic point Of view and th'
whole subject OF Improvement should b'
considered with reference to their neces
sty, their practibilty and the common
good to the country
While improved waterways are the bes
method of controlling railroad rates. th'
president said, they were not the onl!
means. and the interstate laws should b.
amended TO make these laws effective.
The president said he did not believ'
In radical laws that would cripple railroad
and he thought all persons should agre
that the best policy was a square deal 70
the railroad.
ZEE are a funny people" remarked tn
president, before the railroad committees
everybody is in favor OF IT, month afte
Il comes you can't find ANYBODY in tn
country in favor of it. unless it be thu
local counsel"