Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-22
IN CINCINNATI ADDRESS ON Wat
ERWAY QUESTION TAFT oP-
POSES DIVIDING OF "sPoILs"
AMONG DISTRICTS.
GIVE COM MISSION
POWER OYER RATES
IMPROVEMENT OF THE WATER
/. ROUTES WOULD NEcEssITATE
JOINT TRAFFIC ARRANGEMENT
WITH RAILROADS..

Cincinnati. ", Sept. Il.---E SSiu0AA'
Taft on the occasion Of the opening o.
the Ohio river dam this afternoon. az
dressed a great crowd in Music rail-
He reviewed the history of Cinclnnatl
its growth and prospects, and then dls
cussed water communication, especial
Nv the improvement of rivers ana lts
importance to commerce. He declared
that if the navigation of the Ohlo ano
Mississippi rivers were made practlca
and more economical than railroad
communication there would be much
greater trade along these rivers tnan
now exists. He referred to the report
OF the waterways commission, which
found that the chief difficulty in max
ing success of water transportation
is the cost of terminal or transfei
charges wherever the destination O
freight requires the use OF both rive!
and railroad. The commission founo
that great deal OF money and tins
have been spent In perfecting termln
ais for river transportation, and they
also found an entire absence OF sucn
terminals on many navigable rivers.
q Mould Brlns Railroads TO Time.
Then again the commission found
that il localities where the water
borne traffic has increased, careful
and elaborate provision have been
made for handling freight in the most
economical manner. He referred TO the
many advantages the railroads pos,
sess over water routes in the trans.
portation of freight, and declared tnat
to meet these the river transportation
men must devote their attention to
overcoming the disadvantages as %
terminals and transfers involved 10
the variation Of river levels. Z.
The president spoke Of the TACT that
the railroads cut traffic rates wherever
there is water competition. thus DIS
couraging the river business. He also
pointed out that they raise the rates
as soon as the river business has thus
been suppressed. But he said the last
congress passed law which will pre-,
vent raildays from adopting this device
of destroying river competition and
It will be possible to give the inter
state commerce commission power to
make regulations for joint trattc be
tween rivers and railways.
The president spoke Of the delay IN.
cident to the completion of each pro-
tect for the improvement Of waterways
and considered this one OF the great
hindrances to the success OF such i'm
provements. He said he had gone as
far as he he could in an effort to rem
edy this and would ask the next con-
gress for more power.
Hits the Pork Barrel.
Discussing another phase of the
problem, the president declared his
opposition to the "piecemeal' system
OF dividing the spoils among districts.
He favored the completing of one
great plan and then another and then
another. The president declared 1t to
be the duty Of congress to legislate for
the benefit of the whole people, and he
frowned on selfish exploitation Of less
than the whole at the expense of the
whole. "The day Of the pork barrel
should be mum beredv he declared.
Spends Day At Exposition.
President Taft will be in the hands
Of the Ohio Valley exposition officials
almost all Of today. The major part of
the time will be spent at the exposi-
ton grounds. A tour OF the grounds
will be made, after which the president
will deliver speech in Music hall.
Early in the evening the president will
be escorted to the Business Mems club
where he will be guest at dinner. I'M
mediately after dinner he will return
to Music hall to attend performance
of grand opera.