The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-08
BOOSTS
FOR WATERWAYS
Record Attendance at Annual
Meeting of Rivers and
Harbors Congress.
WELCOMED BY PRESIDENT
Yearly Expenditure of $4,000
900 on Meritorious Projects
Is Advocated.
WELCOMED BY PRESIDENT

Washington. d. c., December H.
With the largest number OF delegates
known in It's history present. the
seventh annual gathering OF the Ma
tional Rivers and Harbors Congress
convened here to-day for three-day
session. Tic welcoming address OF
President Taft the annual report OF
President j.. L. 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 As
sociation. and D. f. Skinner, of San
Francisco, were the only ones de-
livered.
Problems to solve.
There was time in the history or
this country when river navigation was
greatly more important than 1t Is
now" said President Taft, in his au-
dress. The growth of railroads and
their entering into the trade of all
sections of the country has diminished
the Importance of river navigation
under existing conditions, and the prob
lem which you gentlemen have to solve
and which Congress has to solve, and
all in favor of using water transport
tation and who believe that 1t has cle-
ments of economy that ought to make
1t enter much more largely into the
general transportation of this coun
try than 1t does, is the union and the
CO. cooperation of railroads and rivers.
The terminal difficulties with respect
to river transportation are the ultii-
culties you have to overcome before
you shall solve this question"
A committee on resolutions was
named by President Ransdell. of which
John c.. Freeman. Of Virginia. was
chosen chairman.
Representative Alexander, Of New
York, in his address, declared that to
favor the Improvement of rivers and
inland waterway transportation gen
orally had now become the fashion,
This was due, he believed, to the ac-
tivity of the National Rivers and Eac-
bors Congress.
The, congressional committees, Mr..
Alexander said, We're now t work on
a. bill which they hoped to present next
week which would provide for annual
This he declared to be the only reason
able way to accomplish the desired
ends.
+ Regular annual appropriations for
carrying on tho work of waterway im-
iprovements throughout the country
We're advocated by President Ransdell,
of the Rivers and EIarbors Congress In
his opening address to the congress.
Since the convention year ago of the
congress, Of which he Is president. Inc
rivers and harbors bill passed by the
last session of Congress. he said, was
the greatest advance yet made toward
the carrying out of the policies ad-
vocated by the National Rivers and
Harbors Congress,
Wants $5O,00O,0OO Year.
The annual expenditure of at least
s50,OOo.000 from the public treasury
upon mcrltorious rivers and harbors OF
the United States until every one of
them is adequately and amply improved
and ready for industrial and CONNER
lcial needs and uses was the policy ad-
vocated by Mr.. Patton. He spoke in
particular of the needs of Improvement
In the Tennessee River.
I'VE ask that our present showing
an past experience be taken as tho
best guaranty and guide" said Mr.
Patton, I'VE need and deserve s1O,-
O0O, 900 to be expended at an approxl-
mate rate Of s1,ooo,0oo year for ten
years for the Tennessee below Chat
tanoosa, and S3,5o0,O0o for similar Inn
provement between Knoxville and
Chattanooga" Ont of each dollar that
should be expended we are not asham-
sd to claim to cents for the Tennes-
see that ranks third In Importance
among American rivers and Is our
largest river capable OF year round
NAVIGATION through Its length.