Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-04-25
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WASTE AGAINST
GOOD BENEFITS.
Observation-Disclosures

,oslssEsls lsssstsIs stsks lsa.t .tsNsssSstAc
Washington, ID. c. April "a
| River and Harbor Appropriation
Bills ought to be continuous ana
| symuictrcal A great deal Of money
has been wasted on military affairs
and military memories that would
have been far better spent for in
ternal improvements for the benefit
of the entire county"
That was an observation by Sana-
tor John sharp Williams, just now
beginning service in tho Senate after
II distinguished career in the House
as the leader of his party. The
| bricfost conlercnca with Mr.. Williams
leaves no doubt of his sympathy with
the policy of the National Rivers and
| Harbors Congress.
Another Southern Senator who.
before being drawn into public SER
vice, was a man of large affairs, a
lawyer, banker and promoter of the
material resources OF his progressive
state, Senator Joseph N. Johnston, OF
| Alabama, talked most Interestingly
Of the transportation problem from
the waterway improvement stand
point
I'VE, in Alabama, thoroughly feel
the Importance of broad and com
! prehensive system of waterway i'm
| provemeuts While We have great
local projects, they are Of a magni-
tude and possibility Of benefaction In
the perfection Of our institutions tha.
give us unbounded confidence IN urg.
ing the attention Of the government
to them. remarked Senator Johnston,
ana he went on to talk about meas
ures he had introduced for tho inn
proyenant and care of the Warrior
and Tomblgbee rivers, which, con
fluent with the Alabama River con-
yerging at Mobile. form the most i'm
/ portant system of inland waterways,
allied with harbor facilities, OF all
the Mexican Gulf region.
"Wo have In mind in Alabama,
. without cessation of effort the COM
| pletion OF a system of waterway Inn
| provemcnts which means very
great deal for the whole country"
/ said the Senator "rhat is the COM
| pletiou OF the projects for the I'M
/ provemeut Of the naylgable streams
/ that empty into Mobile bay That
/ Improvement, long ago started by the
! government and which has enlisted
/ local aid, means the utilization prn-
/ clpally OF the great mineral resources
| of Northern and Middle Alabama,
| whose we have vast quantities of
hituminous coal which, by rigid tests,
| has been proved TO have no superior
as u seam fuel. Only recently this
| coal has been thoroughly tried out
ON torpedo destroyer vessels and the
report represents 1t more satisfactory
than any other coal tried In the
navy, We have agitated among ls
a project OF canali2ation, utilizing The
waters OF some bold perennial streams
in the great Warrior Coal Fitld to
connect with the Warrior river, with
the idea of uniting by local enterprise
the perfection OF what has been an
dertaken by the federal government
IN tho Improvement of the rivers that
form the Alabama river and flow into
Mobile bay Local capital, local in
tellgence and local euegry have Joined
toesther 10 make at Mobile and
Dauphin Island great shipping
point, where surely will one day be
one OF the most important coaling
stations in America not only for our
own navy and merchant marine, but
for the warships and merchant craft
of the world that come our way. and
that will como our way with increds-
ing volume with the completion OF
the Panama Canal. recall It used
to cost, not so very long ago, 81 a ton
to get Alabama coal TO Mobile II
is now down TO 81. with the compile
ton of the improvements now well
under way our apparently inexhaust-
ible supply OF bitumiuous steam coal
can be laid down at Dauphln Island
for 90 cents a ton. TO my mind. this
prospect and the fystom OF improve
mnnts which may bring these things
about are not only important TO Ala
hama, but they are OF interstate Inn
portance and, indeed, OF internn-
tlonal Importance. Inevitably the sue
cess OF the waterway enterprise con-
meeting the sea nearest to tho 18TH
milan canal with the heart Of the
greatest mineral region In tho United
States is and must be dependent upon
continuous care and attention by the
Government IN regular annual river
and harbor appropriations. just such
n system and policy as have been
urged In and out Of season by The
National Rivers and Harbors Com
gresS"