The Washington times., 1910-12-07
Asks for Bill of Particulars
on Charges of Pork
Barrel. "
DELEGATES GREETED
BY PRESIDENT TAFT
Executive Makes Brief But HUI
morOus Speech and Re-
ceiyes Ovation.
NContInued - - p

Continued from First Page)
"
the convention promptly at 1880 O'Clock
brought forth the most spontaneous vel
come the congress has ever given him
He answered IL by delivering the
shortest address he has ever made be
fore that body
IN no way did the President refer to
pork barrel methods Practically the
only policy he advocated IS that ca leu
lated to bring about more cooperation
between the railroads and waterways
which would be followed By better
development Of terminal facilities FOR
the latter
Humor In Speech.
The brevity Of the Presidents speech
was more than counteracted by the IN
usual amount Of humor which he in
jected into II Several times the dele
gates were in a roar Of laughter
He referred TO the snow, which, he
said, was not always to be found in
Washington, but seemed to be popular
OF late one CT his duties as President
OF the United States. he declared, vas
to act as mayor Of Washington. and his
PTeseEfe before the Congress simply
was 10 welcome the delegates to the
Capital
The President then expressed his con-
Gdence IN the ingenuity Of American ex-
pertS in transportation and said he be-
hcved tf- problem Of obtaining ter
Inlnal facilities for the rivers eventually
woulc be satisfactorily worked out.
NOW, mars al have 10 say this
morning he concluded Z congrauIate
You that 1 an in that hUmOr. Good
morning"
After the President hal departed.
Senior Don Francisco Leon de Ia Barra
Mexican ambassador, delivered an ad-
dress on the development OF the water
ways OF his country, and was followed
by De Alva s Alexander, chairman OF
the House Committee on Rivers and
Harbors-
MI RansdelPs Report.
President RansdeI then took the do7r
and presented his annual report He
plunged into a denial OF the pork bar
reil' charges in the early part Of his
address.
He said
We have DersistentIy opposed a drib-
Dllns, piecemeaI policy Of waterway
Improvement and always have insisted
upon the adoption OF a comprehensive.
general, wise, conservative plan. with
the end in view Of completing within
definite period Of ten TO fifteen years
those waterways in our interior and
along our seaCOasts that give promise
OF increasing and eheapenfng transpor-
tation facilities.
We have ever made. and shall con-
tinue TO make a determined fight
against anything thar savors Of the
so called pork barrel legislation In
river and harbOr bills. and we unhesi-
tatingly say that for the past thirteen
years these bills have been as free
from the charge Of pork barreI- as
any that have been passed by Con-
greSs.
II respectively suggest to the critics
mat they prepare OH Of particulars
instead Of speaking in general terms.
Tor am sure t1ac on careful examina-
ton no serious complaint can be made
O. any OF our waterway legislation in
Tect NJ years"
For Contract System.
President RansdeH advocated a con-
tiHuance Of the contract system in Nhe
waterways movement, and following the
line Of Thought brought out by President
Taft, urged thst Congress pay especial
attention 10 the matter Of terminals
lie said he believed S5o,0C9.0Cg should
be expended annually for The improve
menJ of the nations waterways. He
pointed out that with the completion
Of the Panama canal in sishr il would
Dc CnWiSe for the nation not to assist
that great waterway by the thorough
and complete DEVELOPMENT of her hsr-
bOTSs that the ships U hiCn mass Through
The canal may communicate with every
section OF the Union. and the rivers
which run down 10 the sea nav bear
their fun share II contributing to its
commerce
The address of Ao7hsssa,Ior dc 10
Earra was devoted almost exclusively
70 an account Of McEiCo'S WATERWAYS
development The diplomat pointed out.
however that whatever DEVELOPMENT
takes place IN the United states IL
would influence that In the country TO
the south Of her.
Engineers Give Aid.
Representative Alexander said the en-
giEeers. have submitted minimum esti-
mates for a single year. This paved
the way, ne said, for the enactment o.
a bill, moderate in amount which would
be fair to all sections Of the country.
discriminating in its selection OF prof.
eCts. and helpful in the speedy compile
ton Of great projects
The attendance at the opening Of the
congress this morning broke all records.
II IS estimated there were in the neigh
borhOud Of 1000 deIesates in the room
when President Taft was introduced
The ovation given the Chief Executive
last year was unusual. but this morning
Il surpassed that Of the former Occa-
sion The applause from hand-cIap-
ping expanded into cheers which came
from every part of the hall The ap-
plause lasted several minutes Sec
Rotary 90 the President, Charles Dyer
Merton, and Capt Archibald Butt, his
aide. accompanied the President.
Before the President was introduced.
the Invocation vas pronounced BY the
Rev samuel G. Greene, pastor OF Cal
vary Baptist Church
Many Women Present
T. the audience was an unusual num-
her OF women a Joint session with the
WouGn's National Rivers and Farbors
Congress Will be held tomorrow evening.
Preparatory TO the opening this morn
ing the board Of directors of the con
gress numbering 159 members. held \
meeting at the New Willard last night
The financial report presented showed
that The congress had expended SZ5.ta0
duFiT- the past year ia educating the
public IN the cause Of waterways
This afternoon several promfucur
Speak crS addressed the congress,
among them being J. A Patton, oF
Chattanooga Tenn Col. William l. 81