The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1910-12-09
FOR RIVERS
and HARB0RS
CONGRESS In SESSION At WASH.
.INGTON With LARGE At
TENDANCE
TAFT DELIVERS ADDRESS

washington, -. C., Dec. S.-Ine
seventh annual gathering of the Ma
tiona1 Rivers and Harbors Congress
convened here yesterday for a three
days session, with the largest attend
The welcoming address of President
Taft, the annual report of the Presi-
dent J. E. Ransdell, the addresses of
Chairman Alexander, of the House
Committee on Rivers and Harbors, J.
A. Patton, of Chattanooga, president
of the Tennessee River Improvement
| Association, and D. E. Skinner, OF
| San Francisco, were the only ones de-
llivered.
The Presidents Address.
There was time in the history
of this country when river navigation
was greatly more important than it
| is now," said President Taft, in his
| address. ''The growth of railroads
and their entering into the trade of
all sections of the country has di-
minished the Importance of river ma
lvigatior under existing conditions,
and the problem which you gentlemen
have to solve and which Congress has
to solve, and which all in favor of
using water transportation and who
believe it has elements of economy
that ought to make it enter much
more largely into the general trans
portation of this country than it does
i is the union and the cooperation OF
railroads and river. The terminal diff
! ficulties with respect to river trans
portation are the difficulties you have
ito overcome before you shall solve
/ this question.
Rep. Alexander, of New York, in
| his address, declared that to favor the
Improvement of rivers and inland
waterway transportation generally had
now become the fashion. This was
due. he believed to the activity of the
National Rivers and Harbors confer
ence. The Congressional committees
Mr.. Alexander said, were now at work
on bill which they hoped to present
next week which would provide fol
annual appropriations for inland
Waterways. This he declared to be
the only reasonable way to accom-
ip1ish the desired ends.
President RansdeIl's Views.
Regular annual appropriations fol
carrying on the work of waterway i'm
lprovements throughout the United
States were advocated by President
Ransdell of the Rivers and Harbors
Congress in his opening address te
the Congress.
Since the convention a year ago ot
the Cogress of which he is presi
dent, the rivers and harbors bill pass
led by the last session of Congress, he
lsaid, was the greatest advance ye
made toward the carrying out of the
policies advocated by the Nationa
Rivers and Harbors Congress.
Policy Of Mr.. Patton.
The annual expenditure of at leas
100000 from the public treasur,
upon meritorious rivers and harbors
lof the United States, until every ont
of them is adequately and amply i'm
proved and ready for industrial ant
commercial needs and uses, was th'
policy advocated by Mr.. Patton HI,
spoke in particular of the needs o
Improvement in the Tennessee river
eve ask that our present shown.
and past experience be taken as tht
best guaranty and guide" said MI
Patton. 1--WE need and deserve $40
100000 to be expended at an approx
mate rate of $1,0O0,O00 year for tel
: years for the Tennessee river below
Chattanooga, and $3,50O,00O for simi
lar improvement between Knoxville
and CHATTANOOGA