Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-05-30
STEAMBOATS, VANISHED
FROM INLAND RIVERS
LEGISLATOR ADVOCATES DREDG-
ING AND DRAINING FOR
RIVERS AND LANDS.
Lands Now Worthless May Be Re-
claimed and Made Valuable.

washington, MAY "a SPECIAL Core
spondence Of The Republican J--Where
tho Missouri river above Kansas City,
40, divides Missouri from Kansas
ana Nebraska, lies one Of the very
richest farming districts on the con
sressioEaI map. 1t is represented By
a yirile, sturdy lawyer, d man of the
people, familiar with their local needs
and shreWdly appreciatIve OF their
relations with the world at large. The
congressman is Charles J. Booher
VINO is serving his fourth term as a
member of the house Of representa-
tives.
80 member Of congress is more
thoroughly imbued with the idea Of
II, Importance of river and harbor
improvement as the paramount way
To the solution OF the transportation
problem.
When I went To my present nome
forty-two years ago." said Mr.. Boo
her, busy steamboats, were plying
up and down the Missouri river
above Kansas City. Now il seems
like a dream. The railroads have
traversed the country round about
the river has been neglected, the
steamboat whistle is heard no more
and the only river traffic in evidence
is the noiseless and somewhat mel
ancholy sand barge. l have always
realized or been convinced that there
are great possibilities OF traffic yet
in store for the upper Missouri river
For that reason l have been a fire.
quent attendant, both as a delegate
and an interested spectator at river
improvement meetings, and the work
Of the national river and harbor con-
gress has been of unfailing concern
10 me. | most heartily commend Its
slogan of policy and not project,
the splendidly praiseworthy task Of
enIistins the substantial citizenship
of the entire country for river ana
harbor Improvement such as will level,
as far as possible, in smooth naVi-
gable waters transportation rates to
a status where one community VIII
not suffer seriously because it is just
beyond the region of the easiest navi-
gable waters The Missouri river
where il makes the western boundary
of the district l represent can be maze
navigable. and ought to be. Consider
able promising work is now proceed
ing on the river below Kansas CITY,
but the upper river should no longer
be neglected. The time is coming
when at least light draft boats IN
great numbers can bear To market an
immense volume Of traffic. On Doth
sides of the upper river in missouri
Kansas and Nebraska are wonderfully
productive farming lands. In my own
district. on the east side of the river
tbere are numerous bold streams
which have been neglected until re-
Gently. by many of our people, VINO
have been a long time realizing the
great fertility of land which they nave
u,rmitted to overflow, whenever hlgh
water came. rendering the land use
less and wasting an enormous now Oh
water that might have contributed To
tho navigability of the Missouri me
,,,+, nov has a drainage law, which,
while if imposes a considerable TAX
q an acre-is fast becoming the medl-
mn, Of adding TO the arabic area OF
tho state its very richest land Nhere
,bese lands. subject to overflow as
to he not worth a picayune an acre
tbav now readily command Ht"i
drainage from SIS to 500 an acre
,,,o reclaimed land is the best corn
,,,a in the world The main dltches
and the lateral bitches VIII newt,
shIv he well reverted, and there VIII
- Great contribution of water 70
I'LL rho current OF the missouri
,i,.er with this added volume the
improvement of the upper MlSSoui'
is obviously wise Most OF the ~
lands of the Mississippi river dl,
formed from the silt and sups'.ilic'
carried from the banks OF the MIS-