The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-02-19
|. j. HENDERSON'S TALK
TO WATERWAY MEETING

to that office to the NJ. to A. l. W. AS
ISOLATION.
The executive committeeman of the
association is expected to further in
terest in the project advocated by
every laudable means possible. He is
to increase membership in the associa
ton and secure subscriptions. He is
to call and preside at local meetings
of the association, secure newspaper
support and publication of opinions OF
| business men or others interested in
| the waterway. To collect data, ton
mage, and in short to do all things to
| forward the interests and purposes OF
| the association.
The Necessity of Unity.
| The Mississippi river people organ
lied the great National Rivers and
Harbors Congress because the country
| had to be educated to the needs of wa
terWay Improvement, with the result
that the rivers and harbors bill which
passed the house this week has COM
mitted the government to the expen-
diture of S203,000,000 on the Missis-
sippi river. Why did the Mississippi
river interests organize a national as
socation; because in unity there is
strength, and they needed the vote OF
congressman in the states Of Washing
ton and Florida to vote the millions
necessary for the improvement Of the
Mississippi river. They have not only
received the necessary support from
Washington, Florida and the other
states, but the National Rivers and
Harbors Congress collected about one
third, or $4,000, of all the money
raised by that association in the south
eastern states.
Therefore by Strengthening the Mis-
sissippi to Atlantic Inland Waterway
Association, Pensacola will receive
more influence for herself. If the as
sociation advocates the construction of
the waterway from the Mississippi
river to the Atlantic Ocean, the pro-
ject effects intimately Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida,
and has the combined support of the
congressional representation from
those states. Then because the pro-
ject connects the great Mississippi
river and the Atlantic, making possible
the interchange of commerce from all
our rivers and lakes east of the Rocky
Mountains, it becomes of national In
terest and advantage, and will receive
the support of the congressman of the
nation, provided the section immedi-
ately benefited takes the initiative and
does the pushing.
Work Necessary.
One OF the reasons why our con.
gressmen now require exceptional sup
port and demand on the part of their
constituency. is because the nation has
become aroused to the benefits and ne
cessity of waterway improvement, and
congress is deluged with projects re
curing hundreds of millions of dol
lars. Those of merit, which receive
the most pushing, will receive appro
priations first. The present congress
has considered projects calling fol
| $35O, 100000; only about S4O,O0O,OO(
was appropriated. So We must work
| if we expect results-a thing that is
worth having is worth working for.
Day of Political Patronage Past.
Because we are south is no longer g
reason why we can not-obtain govern
ment appropriations. This year New
York city, with her vast interests
asked congress for s5,000,000 to i'm
prove her harbor; the bill contains
100000. Florida asked for sS,000,00t
and received $1,200,000.
Money Essential.
If a thing worth having is worth
working for, it is worth paying for.
If it is necessary for United States
senator to expend $4,000 in his cam
paign for Office, how much money
should be available for the work OF
education to create the demand for the
construction of this great project.
The Mississippi to Atlantic Inland
Waterway Association has had for al
purposes for over two years work
about $4,000, with which three conven
! lions have been held and thousands oil
pieces of literature and letters have
been sent out. Most of these have
| been sent from the secretary's office
| with the aid of one boy. Their compo
sition, directing, folding, stamping an6
printing have been done, while both boy
and secretary were also trying to make
| a i;e'9g. Now this condition would
not exist for one minute if the people
considered this a business proposition
| and of the value we will hear tonight
unless it is. that the people have nc
confidence in the officers who are la
| boring desperately under heartrendins
| conditions to accomplish results i
! this last is the reason, lose no time in
| selecting new officers, and when yoI
do, you will find the present Officers
willing and anxious to do all they car
to aid the work. The officers o.
the association are in this worl
| for but one purpose and that il
to do what they can to secure the con
struction of the waterway. They be
lieve it to be one Of the greatest de
ivelapment and construction PROPOSE
tons the country has ever seen. They
think it is a national proposition sec
ond only to the construction of the
Panama canal and as a southern pro
ject second to none.
The Educational Work.
! Besides the subjects above men
tened, of increasing the influence Of
the association by numbers and unity
of arousing the people to their indi
vidual responsibility and the neces
sity of demanding the construction O.
the waterway, the collection of data
making of maps, creating publicity
and all other incidents to securing
great government appropriations, the
association hopes thC~ugn the medium
of a press bureau and on some special