The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-27
| WATERWAYS PLANS
 ARE CONSERVATIVE
Recent Congress Took Firm
 Stand on the Question
MORE MONEY IS NEEDED
If wa. tbe General View of Delegates That Congress Should Set Aside Large Sum or Issue Bonds
 for Waterways

Washington, December 26.-(Special.) ) 1 Jrnanimity and conservatism were the
 dominant notes struck in the recent
 convention of the National Rivers and
 Harbors congress, which was held in
 this city short while ago. The reso-
 lutions enthusiastically adopted declar-
 ed for an auial river and harbor bill
 that should carry at least S50,000,00O
 yearly to be paid out of the current
 revenues of the government. In the
 event, however, that the current rev. enues are not sufficient to provide this annual sum then bonds should be is- sued in amount sufficient to meet the
 needs of each years work as recom-
 mended by the engineer corps of the army.
 There was not day of the conyen-
 ton which was attended by more than l $500 delegates that was not crowded
 with important and significant inci-
 dents of zeal, harmony and instructive
 expression among the delegates.
 President Taft's address was disap-
 pointingly brief. but 1t was appreciated that just now with the federal Con
 gress on his hands he could spare but to urge upon rail and water lines to get together and strongly favored the acquiring of terminals by municipal
 ities for both water and rail transpor- tation.
 The president of the congress, Rep resentative Joseph E. Ransdell, was at | his best on this occasion. As a presid | ing officer of this great organization
 he not only kept 1t well in hand along every step of it's business, but his own sincerity and vigilance proved an in spiration which contributed signally to It's remarkable success. His unan- l imous reelection for the seventh con- secutiye time indicates his standing with the delegates
 | There were a number of notable ad
 dresses made, Gov. Judson Harmon's
 terse and happy speech and the ex- l tremely valuable contribution to the
 discussions by tho chief Of engineers of
 the army, Gen. William H. Bixby, be- ing particularly commendable. General
 Bixby's speech, in the first place, was
 the initial effort from the engineer
 corps before any organization having to do with a national waterway pol icy. He stinted no sentiment of sym pathy with the object of the organ ization and minced no words in his in- junction for careful and accurate pro
 cedure along safe lines.
 Another engineer officer, Col. Will
 liam L. 'Sibert of the Panama canal commission, delighted the thousands of
 delegates by his admirable handling of the waterway problems in the states
 in connection with the utilization of the lsthmian waterway. The utterances and
 conclusions of these two accomplished
 army officers will be objects of much
 consultation among river and harbor improvement advocates.
 Chairman De Alva s. Alexander of New York, of the rivers and harbors committee, greatly cheered the conven- ton by his hearty commendatton of its work and his sanguine view of the future for waterway improvement prog ress. Although he is soon to leave
 thc federal Congress, the delegates felt assured they would never lack in him a loyal and most valuable friend. Representative J. Hampton Moore of Pennsylvania and Morris Sheppard of Texas delivered rousing addresses. The informal discussion which followed the set speeches of the programme were of a higher order than ever There was no suggestion in any of them that there was the least leaning to the old
 pork barrel' method of getting wa terway improvements and the trend of the deliverances of all the impromptu speakers showed the work of educa- ton toward a comprehensive policy, embracing projects of value to the greatest number, first to be considered and undertaken, and to be completed as rapidly and economically as possible, such projects only as have the entire approval of the corps of engineers as
 we'll as the Endorsement of the busi- ness interests concerned
 Representative Champ Clark, the speaker-to-be of the next House. cap tivated the delegates by the assurance tliat he was heartily in line with them;
 that he was for progressive, continuous improvement and policy permitting no waste.