The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-26
l; BEGINS MEMORABLE VOYAGE
Wih Dttinsuished Escsrt President
 Sails Down Mississippi.
tviee-Pres,4eat Sherman, Speaker Cam aon, Geverners of Masy states, ana Large Delcsstioa From
 Congress Give support
 to waterways.

icy of conservation of the streams. the iands adjoining them and the forests at their. sources was the theme of two notable gatherings In this city and in President Taft, Joseph c. Cannon, Speaker of the national House of Rep resentatiyes,e and Governors Deneen of Illinois. and Hadley of Missouri. took the leading sxQies.
 vice-President sherman was also at the East St. Louis meeting. hts presence making the list of notables, gathered for the occasion tho most complete ros. ter of officialdom that has assembled at any place west of the Alleghenies. Cabinet members. United States Sena tors and Representatives and ministers from foreign governments, listened to the speeches, at one or both of the meetings.
 Added to these were state and munic ipal officials of all degrees and close to 10000 citizens from the ranks who had hocked to the two cities to see and hear. their officers.
 Tonight the President, the Speaker the diplomats, legislators and several hundred representatives of commercial organizations of Illinois, Missouri and other States in the Mississippi valley are speeding down the Mississippi river aboard dotilla of paddle-wheel steam CTS, bound for New orleans. There they are to assemble with hundreds of others In the annual convention of the Lakes to the Gulf Deep Waterways As- sociatfon. whose pet project Is the ere alton of permanent fourteen-foot channel from the mouth of the Illinois river to the Gulf of Mexico. M
 While the Presidents utterances on waterway improvements were not so far-reaching regarding the creation of the fourteen-foot channel as those of President Roosevelt on similar occa- sions--ands stherefoTs not entirely cheer sxe to 1as hz7x'eqtep Of ayt inanaediate scinsn .Aness sss 1f sshal rfls--xet the fact that sneaker canIldn nhausiifi edly eild5rsed tho Ghief executivsss stand re EarIing bond Issues tor such projects, gave these safne advocates encourage ment. Tho seneral good was the test which the President prescribed for the undertaking of ambitious works
 Each Project lon Its Merits.
 Let us take up each project on its merits" he said. sana 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 en- tire country, then I am in favor of do. ing that work as rapidly as 1t can be done and am in favor Of issuing bonds to do it.
 Referring to this sentiment. which was uttered in a meeting at the St. Louis Coliseum at noon, speaker Can non, addressing the gathering at the dedication of the new Federal building in East St. Louis. later in the day, said:
 Tt is a safe and sound outlining of N-~- Eos fs& tN great Middle West. We have improved the Mississippi in the past and we shall be improving 1t a hundred years from now, when we shall need all our water courses
 Illinois in the Lead.
 Just previous to the utterances by Mr Cannon. Governor Deneen of Illi- nois. had issued m official statement In which he asserted that the coming ex- traordinary session of the General As sembly of that State would DC expected to enact leEislation enabling the State officers to undertake immediately the S20,00o, 900 worth of waterway improve ment provided by the bond issue re- gently authorized by the electorate.
 Governor Hadiey, of Missouri, while introducing President Taft to the Coli scum audience. urged that the develop ment of river channels Into navigable ways would do much toward settling the transportation problem, which question, he said, was the greatest be- fore the country today.
 President Taft made four speeches today but the longest consumed less than half an hour. At breakfast. as a guest of the Commercial Club of St. Louis, he referred to the part that body took in the inspection of the Panama canal by business organizations sev- eral years ago. At the Coliseum he discussed waterways for about twenty five minutes but at luncheon with the Business Mems League of St. Louis and at the East St Louis meeting. he mere ly thanked his hearers. using his voice less than five minutes on each occasion.
 The rest of the days program was carried out without a hitch. After speaking at the Coliseum the President went to the Planters Hotel for rest and luncheon. His health was drunk and some short remarks were made by the President and several of the guests.
 The chief executive contented him self with expressing his qualification at the reception accorded to him.
 Following luncheon came an automo- bile run to East St. Louis An appear ance of ten minutes on the stand. end- ed the Presidents part In that function and then he was conveyed to the St. Louis levee, where he embarked on the oleander, which vessel will be float ing White House until Saturday.
 The President today sen- the fol- lowing telegram to Mrs. Peckham, widow of Supreme Court Justice Peck ham: Mrs. Rufus Peckhanf. Albany. N. Y.
 Mrs Taft and I extend to you our heartfelt sympathy in your deep sor- row. May the great and prolonged public service and hign character Of your distinguished husotnd as judge and citizen and the profound respec. of his fellow citizens ofte- some conso- lation to you in this :ad hour.
 (Signed)
 William Ii Taft"