The Washington herald., 1911-12-07
WATER WAYSSURE
TO BE DOOMED
Continued from Page One.

and will take on Il greater Importance
than ever before in the industrial de-
velopment of the nation.
The convention was called to order by
Representative Joseph E. Ransdell, who
is president. Mr.. Ransdell advocated
system of connected waterways for the
United States. He said. in part:
4 believe the time has come to ask
that the main features of such system
shall he decided upon. and that every
waterway shall be considered not as an
isolated project. but also in its rela-
tiOnS to the entire system. Some day II
will be possible to start a barge from
Boston and send II to Chicago or Du-
Iuth. to Jacksonville New Orleans, or
brownsville, TO any point upon the riv-
ers running into the Atlantic Ocean or
the Gulf of Mexico. to Texarkana on
the Red. to Knoxville on the Tennessee.
to Nashville on the Cumberland, to Pitts
burg on the Ohio, TO St. Paul or Mime
apolis on the Mississippi, or to Fort Ben
ton on the Missouri
Following an invocation by Rabbi
Abram Simon, President Ransdell intro
duced the Secretary OF War, who said.
among other things:
Must Meet Competition.
The moment we poke our noses into
the markets of the world We will find
ourselves in conflict with the keenest
and with business methods
OF other nations which have learned how
to cheaper the cost of their commodities
to the last possibility. We are infants in
foreign commerce, and II we will increase
our trade abroad we must see that every
item Of expense is pared to the bone and
that the cost of transportation is low
One does not have to be long at the
l. 80
StimsOn said. to feel the tremendous
and conflicting force of local interests.
making difficult the general adjustment
Of national needs. A great national body,
like the congress he was addressing
working in harmony for great national
policy, he said, he found a relief from
much contention.
President Ransdell after speaking of
the approaching completion of the Pana-
ma Canal asked: IF it was wise to place
this great waterway under continuing
contract so that work on il might pro-
ceed uninterruptedly until it should be
why would it not be at least
equally wise to adopt the same method
at home, so that the work upon the wa
terways within our own borders may be
steadily prosecuted until 1t shall be fin
shed?
Commerce Takes to Sea.
The Atlantic deeper waterways project
was supported in a speech by Represents
alive ]. Hampton Moore, of Philadelphia,
president of the Atlantic Deeper Water
ways Association, made at the afternoon
session. He saidi in part:
Much commerce now takes to the open
sea that should be borne inland. II the
railroads were willing to carry 1t at
water rates and could deliver it on time
It would doubtless go by rail. But in the
absence of canalization or improved in
side waterways, the business incurs the
risk OF the sea.
THE toll of the past month along the
Atlantic has been death and destruction.
In ten years no less than $500 disasters
10 vessels have occurred along the At
antic Seaboard. The property loss has
$i0,000,000 and the lives lost p
200. When life and commerce are thus
lost a problem is presented which the
people themselves should remedy. 1t is
such a problem as demands immediate
and effective remedial legislation on the
part of the government"
As n wOrId-beater.
The conditions of South American
trade, now controlled by English, Ger
man, italian, and French commercial in
terests, were set forth by DR.. David
ESInIey, director of the University Of IL
inois. He won applause by declaring
hat the American could drive them all
Jut whenever he chose to go after the
business.
Toward the close of the morning ses-
sion. a sensation was created when
Francis NJ. Trissal, delegate from Indi-
ana, accused the Congress of depart
ng from its original policy of consid-
ering special Improvement projects rel
alive to the general movement. His
inquiry as to whether such projects
would be considered was howled down
by a chorus OF noes"
other speakers were Edgar c. Ellis,
II Kansas City. No.: Joseph N. Teal. of
Portland, Greg; NJ. W. PEBBLES. De-
.roit. Mich, of the order OF United Com
nercial Travellers of Americas c. S. II.
of Victoria, Tex. president Of
he Intercoastal Canal Association; NJ. X.
st. Louis, Mo-, president OF
he Lakes-to-Gulf Deep Waterway As
& Ca Nsf.