The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-16
An Inland Water Line
 From Maine to Florida
Interesting Paper by Mrs. C.. B. Sparks of Provi-l
 dence, R. l.

Following is a paper written by Mrs. Charles Elmer Sparks of Provi- dence upon the Atlantic Deeper Wa terways subject:
 The conception of a continuous line of inland communication tahin1a along it's course all natural water-c6urses that is, all rivers and bays follow ing the coast from Maine to Florida cutting water-passages through pro- jectiops of land to shorten this in land Channel, and the broadening and deepening of old canals along the pro- jected course, many of them having : been for some time past neglected and unused through the transfer of their one-time business to the rail- g roads, which are in consequence over crowded with freight-the conception of such a plar is certainly grand one. and the result, when completed will more than any other national project now in course of construc- tion affect and improve the business interests of this generation.
 The objects to be accomplished by the construction of this inland water passage are, first to prevent the inn mense loss of life and destruction of merchandise through the wrecking of vessels at many dangerous points. they being compelled to take the out side course along the coast for want pr an lHSlue pdSSdS0, InS SNCOlo SO facilitate the transportations of all commodities between the North and the South.
 Those of you present who may have heard as. did the views upon this subject so ably expressed by many of our Senators and Congressmen and a number of the Governors of the At lantic Seaboard States, cannot have failed to realize the importance of this undertaking and the good results which will follow its completion, and we as women can perhaps help to fur ther the cause in our smaller way by awakening interest in it among our selves and endeavoring to arouse it among our husbands, fathers, and it might not be out of place to add for the benefit of some of the younger women present, to talk waterways to their frances!
 In fact I would like to call the spe- cial attention of these younger women to this cause. While the men of this Association hope within a few years to have this important work complet- ed, yet there have been many diffi- culties in the past to be overcome and there still remain many more to be overcome in the future. Mean time these younger women will be growing older and awakening to broader views of life and the needs of this present age and foremost among them will be the ned of this inland waterway right here in our : section of this great country.
 There has seemed to be a reluctance on the part of our National Govern ment to make the appropriations which should have been made to this Eastern Coast section, partly owing to the fact that we have allowed the pushing energy of the West to get ahead of us The East has slept while the West has worked and without carefully looking into statistics show ing the difference between the actual needs of this part of our country and that beyond to the westward, the Gov ernment has granted appropriations for the hetterment of water-passages there, far in excess of what has been allowed us here, notwithstanding that both natural and manufactured pro- ducts of this section of the country are so much greater in amount, and consequently the tonnage Of these cas- tern rivers is so much in excess of thise west and so we want to make this Atlantic Associatian a mighty one to carry on it's work. We want to arouse the interest of every thinking man and woman, and by so doing in- crease its membership so that every new Delegate may add by his own thought, interest and in some cases work for the cause, to bring this grand result nearer to it's completion.
 If the Association can be so largely increased that Congress cannot afford to thrust Its demands aside, then the President of this grand land must set the seal of his approval upon what is asked for, and we shall have attained that for which the husbands of some of us have been so earnestly working for these past four years. or since the