The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-04-10

come to congress, to convince the COM
mittee that this is not only a worthy
project, but that it is much more
ought to be taken out of the class or
category Of worthy steams and put on
the bin for appropriation. Why; this is
a big country! About the first thing we
do when we leave the grammar schools
is to forget what geography we had
banged into our heads Out on the great
coast of the Pacific. where they are
clamoring for a watercourse through the
noun tains, and insisting upon the great
works of the Cascades, etc, to open up
that magnificent country to the sea they
wonder why congress would appropriate
money for a river that has such a pc
culiar name as the Chattahoochee, And
the man on the Chattahoochee river does
not understand why we will so way off
to the Pacific coast and spend our money
until this project here is completed. The
Rivers and Harbors bill is taken up and
Raccoon creek is appropriated for, and
then the man on the ChattahooChee river
has a fit. And yet the ChattahOochee
river twOrthy as 1t Is. 1t has been my
pleasure to vote for appropriations for it.
float -one-fourth of the commerce. that
RaccoOn creek does. Now, We are told
that there is nothing i'll a name. Well,
perhaps the rose, by any other name,
would smell as sweet but a name
amounts to a good deal, when it comes to
ri vers and harbors appropriations. Some
peoples money away down upon the
Suwannee river and they will spend it
''On the Banks OF the NaDaSn, Dul you
have got to show them when you want an
appropriation for the Withlacoochee!
The Austrian government, in the past
six years. has spent more money on its
waterways, principally the Danube, than
we have spent on the Mississippi river
and its $4,000 miles of navigable trihu-
tarieS. The Danube runs 500 miles in
Austria. The Danube floats about $780,
600 tonnage year You look up the
Rivers and Harbors bill and you say IN
the name of heaven! What do they mean?
they are spending our money on Newton
creek and yet, Newton creek floats a
commerce of more than 100000 tons:
But Newton creek is not the Beautiful
UNJUST CRITICISM.
Mr.. Humphreys says: We can have a
public sentiment that will require con-
gress to adopt a liberal policy in its
rivers and harbors appropriations, but 1t
will be when 1sn n the 5udgmen5 and
the money is being inteligently expended,
and we can not convince as long man
of influence and prominence and the great
journals of our country continue to, in
dulge in-I was about to say senseleSs
will say Observation-Disclosures of the
money that is being expended and until
after close scrutiny and study, are able
to speak with knowledge.
THE PRESS.
The work of the association would have
been of but small value, except for the
aid of the press-north and south. 1t
has given much space to the subject, if
computed in money and paid for as ad,
with $100.0 900. The secretary alone sent
over 1000 articles last year to newspapers
and magazines of the country. The press
and handful of men have so far carried
the load and stood shoulder to shoulder
for this great waterway
THE MOTIVES OF THE OFFICERS.
AS the motives of the officers and spe-
ciaiiy of my own have been questioned |
think it proper to write a few words of
a personal character. L will benefit in
the development Of the country as will
every other citizen of the country. l
tried to explain at a meeting in Pensa-
cola that l may have an inherited ten
dency for doing things of this kind. Pos
SibIy 1 enjoy the honor. | do know that
I have tried and can't let go of the work.
I have made no small sacrifice of per-
sonal matters and everv sense of duty
tells me I should attend to my own and
the affairs of those associated with me in
business. / also know that someone must
do the detail work, and that am wrap
ped up in it heart, soul and mind.
Senator Fletcher accepted reelection
as president of the Association in the face
| of the protests of many of his friends, and
| only upon the unanimous acclaim of the
convention held in Jacksonville last No
vember He has been one of the largest
| individual contributors in money, time
and study to the cause.