The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-14
Republicans and Democrats to
Promise River Work.
Col. Roosevelt Promises 1T if
He Is Elected.
CANAL WILL BE INCENTIVE
Navigation Will Lead to I'm
proving of Mississippi.
Cost and Work Not Larger
Than Catskin Project.

New York, June 14.-Colonel Theodore
Roosevelt's recent letter addressed tic
L. S. Lake of Buntyn, Tenn. respect
ing the Importance of a national public
work by which the Mississippi river
and its tributaries will be controlled
and developed, is spoken of here as re-
fiecting the versatility of Colonel Roose-
velt's mind.
The subject is of such vital import
ance that no matter who the nomi-
nees of the two national parties may
be or what may be the result of the
voting upon election day the admins
tration and the congress which pass
into power on the 4th of next March
are, it is believed here. certain to take
this matter up. Colonel Roosevelt
promises to do that in the event of
his election as president But there
are limitations that the platforms of
both parties will recommend that this
work be entered upon by the govern
ment as soon possible.
Some of those who attended the re-
clamation congress held at New Or
leans early in the spring report that
the discussions and recommendations
which made the record of that con-
gress have had much influence with
many members of congress. 1t was an
extraordinary coincidence. so it is said
very time the floods along the Mis-
sissippi valley were dangerous and de-
structive.
The late Captain Eads, of st. Louis
who perfected the jetty system which
has served so we'll to restrain the Mis-
sissippi from the point where it enters
the gulf northerly toward New Or
leans, was always of the opinion that
from all points of view, economic, sci
entific, the development of the country.
a national work of this kind, which
would control the Mississippi and its
tributaries and furnish adequate per-
manent channels for navigation would
be found quite as productive of bene-
fetal results as was the construction
of railways across the continent, es
pecially from the Mississippi or Mis-
souri, river to the Pacific coast.
The Canal and the Mississippi.
At least two years ago attention was
called to the fact that the opening of
the Panama canal to navigation would
inevitably lead to the making of the
Mississippi valley an arm of the sea-
This precise expression Colonel Roose- |
Welt has used in the letter to Mr.. Lake. !
as he also used it in a communica- |
ton to a business congress which was |
held in the south some few years ago |
The perfected Mississippi river and |
would bring the whole inter |
Tor of the United States into profitable |
South America by means of the Pan |
anna canal.
What 1t Would Cost.
There was a good deal of informal |
discussion among the delegates to the |
congress which was held in New Or |
leans early in the spring respecting |
the cost of this road. Some of the alb
lest engineers were of the opinion that |
the cost had been greatly exaggerated,
at least in some of the informal esti-
mates. But it was also said that If !
the United States found it expedient !
to put hundreds of millions into the
artificial waterway across the Panama
isthmus the government should be will
ing to put as many millions as are
needed into the perfecting of the Mis-
sissippi valley so far as transportation
and the permanent restraint of flood
are concerned.
New York state will within two
years have expended a little over a
hundred million dollars for the con-
struction of a canal which is to float
one thousand ton barges from Lake
Erie 20 the navigable waters of the
Hudson. Private capital will have
spent within two years about fourteen
million dollars for the construction of
a ship canal across Cape Cod. from
bay to Massachusetts, bay.
New York city will have expended,
|