Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-31

of them shall be such on the river that
bulky merchandise must go that way.
What do we do? Why, we say to the
railroads. If YOU will only arrange
your rates SO as to compete with the
river we will permit you to make them.
SO as to drive the river out of business.
Now that is what has been done
While the rivers have served the
purpose of regulating rates, to GER
tain extent, and reducing them. they
nevertheless have not exercised tndt
power ard that influence that they
might IL they were actually used Tor
the purpose.
Experiment by Government.
The Secretary of War yesterday sug-
gested-although he Is far from a
government ownership man as possible
that perhaps it might be well to let the
government experiment a bit in risking
some capital to put a few lines on the
river to see whether something cannot
be done with that business. In Kansas
City they are investing money today to
try-it on the Missouri river.
And the question whether We can
meet the point, that you have got to have
some means of gathering the business
and getting ii onto the boats in order to
compete with the railroad. may give rise
To the suggestion that the government
might establish stations along the river
disc to be- sent by the river. All these
are suggestions that will have to be
worked out before we reach a satsfac-
tory conclusion.
Now. in St. Louis I said / thought We
ought to satisfy ourselves with respect to
a great Improvement of the river, that
il would be useful before We went ahead
and invested all the money necessary,
and that then we ought TO invest that
money quickly and issue bonds for the
purpose, because this is the most rapid
way.
Now. I think that We have solved the
question of the navigation of the Ohio
river for the purpose of improving the
trade of that river: and IL you are going
to make the Mississippi a valuaDie
stream you have got to depend on the
feeders to that stream, of which the
Ohio is today far and away the most
important.
Plans First Necessity.
1T will cost s63.OOO.OOO i am in favor
of going ahead with that which has been
determined to be useful and issuing
bonds and building these improvements
i am not In favor of delaying the Miss1s-
sippi river improvement until the Ohio
river improvement Is completed, but 1 am
in favor of finding out what you ought to
do in the Mississippi river succtnctly and
knowing what IL will cost before you go
IN and spend all your money.
Il have been delighted to read-because
j had otherwise different idea-that the
Mississippi has been improved greatly
toward the lower end; that tine Missis-
sippi river commission. working with
Louisiana and Mississippi. has developed
a system of levees that are wonderful. to
save a state nearly 10000 square miles.
useful and most productive for agrfcul-
tural purposes, and that at the same time
they have gone on and have discovered
means of stopping the slOughing of at
the bends: that by experiments they have
found what will stick and what Will not
stick. and that we are making progress
in spite of the fact that the progress Is
not what it ought to be.
Congress Should Give Up.
1.-THE Mississippi river commission says
that, in order to carry on even the work
they are doing. they ought to have 81
100000 more a year. Certainly Congress
ought to be ashamed not to give it to
them.
IT am very sure that the Speaker OF
the Housewife. although he says he Is
but one member of the House. neverthe-
less under the customs which have
the House-is charged with deep RESPONSE
bility I'm regard to this great question. and
that he is working as hard as he can
10 reach a just solution.
The question is: What can you do?
How much will 1t cost? How long Will
It take? And what will II result in?
Now, when you address yourselves to
this body of men and treat IT as mere
question Of transportation on profitable
basis, have not the slightest doubt that
you will reach q solution that will appeal
TO those who have the responsibility OF
voting the money for the government,
and that you will get what you desire
In q measurable time"