Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-08
SEEKS GOVERNMENT AID
BROKEN PROMISES CHARGED

Senator Newlands Declares Both
Parties Have Failed to Fulfill
Their Platform Assurances.
| Resolutions embodying the following
principles and policies were adopted
| by the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress at Its closing session at the
New Willard Hotel today:
Favoring adoption by the xovernmeut
| of = national waterways policy.
For continuance Of the annual con-
gresstonal rivers and Aaybors appro-
priatiOn, reiterating demand for q
yearly minimum appropriation Of fifty
million dollars and suggesting q ma
tional bond Issue for waterways works
| Of permanent character.
Insisting upon the paramount Inn
portance to national prosperity Of wa
tercourse development.
Making procurement for free pas
sage through government-created WA
terways for American craft, and the
subsection Of all waterways to the
power Of the interstate commerce COM
mission.
Affirming the need for adequate ter
minal facilities.
For establishment Of . government
bureau to compile and disseminate
facts and Information rexardine WIN.
terways.
.. The congress adjourned at about L
o CLOCK The board Of directors held
meeting Immediately afterward
RESOLUTIONS prepared by the resolutions
committee of the congress, embodying the
declaration Of principles and policies. were
presented to the congress by George
Bartholdt of Philadelphia, chairman of
the committee Mr.. Bartholdt announced
that the resolution had been prepared by
a subcommittee of the committee on res
buttons. unanimously adopted and unani-
mousiy approved by the full committee
Newlands Scores Congress.
Senator Newlands, announcing himself
as the representative in the congress ..of
the great maritime state of Nevada"
launched into a denunciaton of republt
cans and democrats in Congress for fail
ure to fulfill party declarations for a. ma
uonal waterways policy. He EXPRESSED
the nope that the present session of the
national Congress would redeem these
promises.
AS member of the resolutions COM
mlttee, he said. he had favored a strong
lecture to the nations lawmakers for
Its apathy and it's failure to live up to
us pledges. AS the committee had
CHOSEN to adopt gentIer attitude
imam ne wished In Its censure of the
national Congress-, he said. he had
acquiesced in the formal expression
adopted, but would take this occasion
to present his personal views before
the general session of the congress.
Mr. Newlands declared that the
planks In both party platforms de-
clarlng for waterways policy were
adopted in response to unanimous pub
lie opinion. The national legislators,
he declared. alone stood In the way
of such legislation. They. the agents
Of the people and OF the Rivers and
Harbors Congress, and pledged to carry
out the public will. were to blame, he
said
The trouble is, he said, that there is no
initiative in the national Congress under
our form of government except through
the President. National apathy and in
ertia In any great body, he said, no mat
competition of railways, he declared. was
another reason for the failure Of legis-
lative action.
Should Hold congressman Respon-
sible.
He urged the rivers and harbors con-
gress to hold every member Of the ma
tional Congress to his pledge, and re-
quire that the members of the congress
sional committees intrusted with the
duty
policy be made to bend to the will of the
people or retire.
The failure of the national Congress to
carry out the will of the people, Mr.. New
| lands declared is responsible for the oe-
sire of the people to take back into their
own hands the right of government
through the initiative and referendum
and recall
Senator Newlands was roundly ap-
plauded.
Conservation of Water Power.
James c.. Haines of Minneapolis, offered
as an amendment to the resolutions:
Resolved. That it is the sense of this
| congress- wherever the federal govern
any public work, shall develop any water
| or hydro-electro power, the same shall Be
conserved and reserved for the benefit Of
| the public
| CHAIRMAN CIldJTuldu OIL the
| resolution committee. explained that the
committee has passed on the resolution,
and although not opposed to 1t. had voted
| 1t down as not in accord with the pur-
poses of the congress.
| The congress voted against adoption of
| the Haines' resolution.
Resolutions Adopted.
The resolutions offered by the resolu-
tons committee were then adopted unani-
| mously.
They read as follows:
THE National Rivers and Harbors Con-
| gress, representing in its membership
every section of the country and every
| form of business activity, assembled in Its
| eighth annual convention, makes the fol-
lowing declaration Of it's principles and
| policies:
"ia) We urge the adoption by the gov
| eminent of broad, liberal. compre-
| hensive, systematic and continuous policy
| of waterway Improvement, policy
which has been heretofore unanimously
| pledged by the great political parties of
| the country In convention assembled.
which pledges have not as yet been re-
deemed
.(b) We urge the continuance by Con-
gress OF the policy of annual appropria-
tions for rivers and harbors and con-
nected waterways SO long advocated by
US and which was adopted by the Sixty
| first Congress- We conSraiuIat the peo-
DE OF the United States that the Presi