The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-11-22

Atlantic Inland Waterway Association
is to occupy the same relationship to
system of inland waterways for the
states of Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi and Louisiana, that a rail-
road company does to its system of
railroad.
The people must and do pay for
both systems, but this difference exists
The people have given billions to the
railroads, and the corporations own
them. They have only given millions
to the water system, but all they have
and will give, does and always will be-
long to the people.
Another difference is, railroad de-
velopment and management is secre-
tive.
Waterway development and manage
ment is the opposite, because cor
porate management is vested in rela-
lively few men who conduct their
affairs behind closed doors. The man
agement of the waterways rests in the
people, and when they meet to con-
duct their affairs, the doors cannot be
closed, were it necessary. Hence pub
to express the wish of the people 20
their agents In Washington.
Conventions may be classed under
four general heads:
l. Business, including all matters
of dinividual or corporate nature. for
gain.
2. Social, including family or other
reunions, and meetings for fraternal
purposes, pleasure, etc.
3. For benefit, education, political
and religious.
4. Voluntary.
briefly. some organized form of sup
port, and are striving to promote spe-
cific interests, having as an end more
or less personal and individual gain.
The fourth class, however, Is illus
trated by the National Rivers and
policy for the benefit of the whole
country, the Southern Commercial
| Congress striving for the whole de-
velopment of section Of the country,
and the Mississippi to Atlantic Inland
Waterway Association endeavoring to
perform for the people service Of
| securing the accomplishment of a
| specific project, which will be of gem
eral benefit to the entire country and
| special advantage to the states of
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi
and Louisiana.
If any type of organization and con-
vention has the right of existence, It
is certainly the one working for the
general benefit of the people.
To date the Convention" is the most
effective way of stirring up interest
and getting expression from the peo-
pie. difficulty in our form of gov
eminent is to secure expressions on
public matters from the sovereign
| the people.
The saying is trite, what is every
| body's business is nobody's business
Voluntary associations live only
| through the support of the peopIe.
| They are made of, and for the people.
Their officers and active workers
have at best. great and numerous diff
| ficulties to overcome because of lack
of public interest. Every man, firm
| and town. thinks the other man, firm
| or town will look after the matters
| advocated. 1t is difficult for people
and communities to realize their in
dividual responsibilities. The results
and benefits beng usually general
rather than individual, association at
| tendance. cooperation and support.
are side stepped.
The greatest supporter of projects
and efforts for general and public good
is the press. AS long as its aid is
| given, the few leaders in such work
/ who make sacrifices all out of pro-
| portion with Justice will be heartened
/ to continue, to contribute their mite
toward the development of the best
| government. the richest country and
| the greatest people on earth.
The Mississippi to Atlantic Inlan7
| Waterway Association was organized
| to advocate federal construction of an
| inland waterway for barge navigation
| from the Mississippi river to the Apa-
! lachicola river and thence across the
| peninsula of Florida.
| The association now represents
| some ten states. Besides presidents,
| vice president. secretary and treasurer
| when all counties are represented, the
| association will have some nine hun
4 rod hA tot ~ III,
| tive committees.
The association has greatly broad
| ened it's scope by adding a state COM
| mittee comp osed of one member rep
| resenting each county. The purpose
of this committee is to further the in
terest and purposes of the association
and to form branch organizations in
| each county. When completed there
| will be nine hundred of these organ
| izations. Nearly two hundred county
| branches are now formed or in prog
ress of formation.
| Gigantic Transportation System.
If the purpose for which the Missis-
sippi to Atlantic Inland Waterway As
| sociation was organized is realized.
every city on the waterway would Sc
| cure more than the equivalent of a
| trunk line of railroad from all cities
| along the Atlantic and Gulf seaboards
| and Great Lakes, and all of the nav
| igable rivers running into them. This
| is. provided the contemplated i'm
| provements of the Mississippi river
| and it's tributaries with connecting
| canals to the Great L axes and the
construction of the Atlantic deeper
waterway and the interstate inland
waterway, with the Improvement Of
their laterals and tributaries are con-
| summated.
| In like manner every city or loca-
| ton touched. or in proximity to the
! proposed inland waterway from the
| Mississippi to the Atlantic across the
| peninsula of Florida, or it's laterals
and tributarie, will so far as it's own
| consumption and productions is con-
| cerned, he the terminus of this gisan
| tic line of transportation. which will
| belong to no trust or combine. which
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