The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-26
THEY ARE TOGETHER.
Taft and Cannon Agree on Subject of
Deep Waterways.

ST. Louis, Oct. 26.-Waterway i'm
provement, as part of national
policy of conservation of the streams,
the lands adjoining them and the for
ests at their sources was the theme of
two notable gatherings in this city and
ic East St. Louis, ILL.,, in which Presi-
dent Taft, Jos. c. Cannon, speaker of
the national house. and Governors
Deneen of Illinois and Hadley of Mis-
seLr. took leading roles.
Vice President Sherman was also at
the East st. Louis meeting, his pres
first that so complete a roster of Off
cialdom has gathered at any place
west of the Alleghenies.
Cabinet members, United States SEN
ators and representatives and minis
tiers from foreign governments listened
20 the speeches. Added to these were
state and municipal officials of all de-
grees and close to 100000 citizens.
Today the president. the speaker,
the diplomats, legislators and several
organizations of Illinois, Missouri and
other states in the Mississippi valley
are speeding down the Mississippi
river aboard fotilla of paddlewheel
steamers. bound for New Orleans
There they are to assemble with hun
dreds of others in the annual conven-
ton of the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep
Waterway association whose pet
pre- ject is the creation of a permanent
fourteen foot channel from the mouth
Of the Illinois river to the Gulf of
M.x'c.
While the presidents utterances on
waterway improvement were not so far
teaching regarding tic creation of the
fourteen foot channel as those of
President Roosevelt on a similar occa-
sion-and therefore not entirely
cheering to the advocates of an i'm
mediate commencement of the work
vet the fact that Speaker Cannon I'M
qualifiedly endorsed the chief execu-
tive's stand regarding bond issues for
such projects, gave these same advo-
Gates encouragement. The general
good was the test witch the president
prescribed for the undertaking of
ambitious works
LET US take up each project on its
merits he said, land determine by all
means at our command whether the
country in which that project is to be
carried out is so far developed as to
justify the expenditure of a large sum
of money and whether the project will
be useful when done.
when you have determined that on
the general principle of good to the
entire country, then 1 am in favor Of
he done, and I am in favor of issuing
bonds to do it,
Speaker Cannon's Address.
Referring to this sentiment. which
was uttered in a meeting at the st.
Iou1s coliseum, Speaker Cannon ad-
dressing the gathering at the dedica-
tion of the new federal building in
East st. Louis. said:
"'It is a safe and sound outlining of
a proper policy for US to pursue in
| this great middle west. We have i'm
! proved the Mississippi in the past and
we shall be improving it hundred
wears from now when we shall need
| ali our water courses. We, in this
generation, will do our part wisely. We
will not throw money into rivers to be
washed into the sea. We shall do that
| first which needs doing most"
! The speaker endorsed the levee sys-
tenn, congratulating East st. Louis and
IT'S neighboring towns on the compile
tion of the river barriers, the dedica-
ton of which formed part of the day
celebration. Just previous to the ut
| terance by Mr.. Cannon, Governor De-
| peen of Illinois had issued an official
statement in which he asserted that
| the coming extraordinary session OF
| the general assembly of that state
would be expected to enact legislation
| enabling the state officers to undertake
imm ediately the s20,O00.000 worth of
waterway improvement provided by
the bond issue recently authorized.
President Taft made four speeches
yesterday, but the lengthiest con-
sumed less than half an hour.
| At the East ST. Louis meeting he
merely thanked his hearers, using his
voice less than five minutes on each
| occasion.
81 left most of my voice in Texas.