New-York tribune., 1911-12-08
BOND ISSUE ADVOCATED
Gaynor Urges Improvement Of
Waterways.
ALSO DISCUSSES TRUSTS
Speakers at Rivers and Harbors
Congress Ask Federal or
State Aid.

WASHINGTON. Dec. The issue Of bonds
by the federal government 10 cover the cost
of Improvement OF rivers and hsrbors was
urged before the National Rivers and Har-
bors Congress here to-day. II the govern
ment dLclined 20 make such an issue, OF II
Congress should be SLOW TO appropriate
money for the improvements. the issue Of
bonds by the states was advocated by
many Of the speakers.
Mayor Gaynor OF New York. Governor
Hadley of Missouri. Mayor Fitzgerald Of
Boston and Roy Miller. Of Corpus Christi.
Tex. were among those who favored the
bond issue plan. Mayor Gaynor said, in
part.
The national government should not
shrink from the cost OF opening OUT water
highways and keeping them IN order.
Heretofore II has coDfUed itself To- money
raised by taxation and appropriated TOR
that purpose But n may be- WiSc 10 resort
10 bonds. the sam" a. I'm tho building OF
the Panama Canal All capital thus spent
will come back 10 the people Of the country
many fold. Let future generations nay
their share Of the cost of highways Which
are to last forever. That IS sound nnauce.
public highway Is for everyone anke.
No discrimination or tavoruSm can Dc
given 20 anyone on pubic hlGn"ay'
Everyone has 90 hc treated alike IN IdFeS'
rates or tolls. No favOritiSm 20 anyone j.
the law Of their existence. This Vas al
ways the law az 10 tho railroads. Tenn
porary disregard or toTgetfulness oi II
drew uDon us evils which some are no"
railing al as though that Wouio remove
them Every monopoly iu TINS country was
started and built upon faVoritism IN treiglt
rates on our public highVays-our railroads:
Those In control Of our railroads treated
them for more than q generation az prl-
vate roads with which the, coulo 90 ds
they pleased.
The bringing OF our waterways into use
viii lessen this evil Some seem 10 thlnk
that favoritiSw In freight rates no longer
exists. Not 50. Investigations even now
going on reveal its existence on d large
scale You cannot run commerce you can
not vary the natural laws OF commerce py
statutes and court decisions. hst has
proved failure IN every aSc ana Wiz PRIV
4 failure iu ours. What Is needed j. 10
make commerce free and equal 20 al, WIN
favor5usm 10 none. and then leave II alone.
interfered with by laws or favoritsm with
ont injury 20 commerce ana 10 society. me
suggestion u turning every large CONNER =
rjal business over TO the supervision o.
government officials Is as impractlcaple
now as former generations found II 70 De.
IL would lead 70 worse evils. including on
cial eXtortiOn and blackmall. me hlStOTE
OF the past fully informs Is on mis- sun,ect'
II we would only read u.
While favoring bond issue, Mayor Gay
nor disiked the referendum method Of get
ting IL. The experience Of his own state
he said. did not hold out much hope 20
those who demand imnediate Improvement
OF waterways The present high cost OF
living. he thought. might be laid 10 rebates
allowed by the railroads. which could be
Offset by the intelligent development Of
WATERWAYS 20 compel q reduction Of freight
charges.