The Washington herald., 1912-12-06

Brilliant speeches. urging members Of
the National Rivers and Harbors Con.
gress, in session at the New Willard Ho.
tel, 10 put their plans into operation
marked the second days proceedings, and
was followed last night by an interesting
illustrated lecture by Clarence ]. Blanch.
ard, OF the Reclamation Service.
The day was busy one, for, besides a
full programme OF the congress, 100 dele
gates whose office IL was also to repre-
sent the Lakes to the Gulf Deep Water
way Association presented a memorial
to President Taft at the White House,
and the delegates from Louisiana, Arkan-
sas, and other Southern States took op-
portunity to appear before the House
Rivers and Harbors Committee.
Mr.. BIanchards lecture last night waI
delivered under the auspices of the
Woman's National Rivers and Harbor:
Congress. and contained something like
an answer to declarations made yes.
terday morning by Secretary of War
Stimson that the United States ought to
maintain control and receive revenues
from the power developed by the i'm
provement Of rivers through the con-
structiOn OF dams.
Leasing Water Power.
on the Western rivers, Mr.. Blanchard
explained. was not to make them navi
gable, but to take the waite out of
them and put it upon the lands In the
building OF dams for irrigation pro-
jects, tremendous power is developed.
and this is being leased by the govern
ment to great advantage.
An illustrated lecture at yesterday aft
ernoon's session by Hugh L. Cooper, vice
president and chief engineer OF the Mis-
sissippi Power Company. Mr.. Cooper
talked about the Keokuk Dam.
Hugh l. Cooper, vice president and
chief engineer of the Mississippi Power
Company, delivered an Illustrated lecture
on The Keokuk Dam at yesterday aft
ernoon's session. He presented the sub
ject in a most attractive fashion. and
his address was regarded as one Of the
best of the convention.
Senator Miles PoindexteT Of Washing
ton and Representative John H. Small Of
North Carolina made addresses at the
afternoon session.
Moore CriticiEes Taft.
An increase to ssOOO.OoOo annually of the
appropriation for repair
work and Improvement Of Mississippi
River levees from Cairo to the Gulf was
Rivers and Harbors Committee. Col.
Townsend, president of the Mississippi
River Commission. outlined the needs Of
more money for Strengthening and broad
enng the levees since the disastrous
foods of last spring. o. n. Killough. of
Arkansas. president OF the Interstate
Levee Association; Mai. Kerr. Of New
Orleans, chief engineer of the Louisiana
levee districts, and others appeared be-
fore the committee.
Serious criticism was made yesterday
by Representative J. Hampton Moore
Of Pennsylvania, long a leader in the
national rivers and harbors improve
ment crusade, of President Taft's plan
to spend a huge sum for the protection
Of the lOwlands OF Louisiana against
floods.
This lis matter that the States i'm
concerned should handle, and
] am surprised and grieved that the
first man of the land should advocate
any such outrageous scheme The
money Of the States should be spent by
cation facilities SO as TO benefit all the
people. 1t is not fair to dump a lot of
the public funds in the Mississippi,
where, no matter how much money is
spent, Providence seems to ordain that
the river shall never be in a condition
suitable TO the engineers.
Il shall oppose the Presidents sug-
gestion vigorously"
Secretary StImson Speaks.
The United States should exercise
4 more rigid control over its water
power rights, declared Secretary Of War
Stimson in his address before congress
yesterday morning. He asserted that
the citizens of this country should not
bear the sole burden Of rivers and har-
bors appropriations" and called atten-
lion to the immense revenue which might
be derived from vater-power franchises
which are now given away free.
His speech was supplementary to the
addresR by Prasident Taft Wadnaadnu