The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-04-12

add that the bills OF 1910 and 1911
carried amounts for this stretch of
the river aggregating $1.600.000, which
have been used or will be expended in
the completion of that project, so that
with the sums provided in this bill
there only remains the original amount
100000 to be provided in future
bills
Mr. Chairman, I have not covered
all the provisions of this bill and the
limited time at my disposal Will not
permit we to do so, but 1 wish to ask
the indulgence of the House a little
longer
measures that has been brought or
will be introduced into the House dur
ing the present session. This the peo-
pie understand, and there is through
out the country today a greater in
terest manifested in favor of river and
harbor improvement than ever before
in our history. They have found that
the railroads are unable to do all the
carrying business of the country; they
have seen that, although the develop
ment of these transportation agencies
has gone on until their trackage
reaches zfV,UVV miles, With the very
best equipment in the world, with all
that trackage and this superior equip
ment they are unable to do the bust
ness required of them, except in fav-
ored localities. (Applause).
The people. accustomed for nearly
three quarters of a century to rely
upon the railroads. have found them
falling below the demands made upon
the transportation energy of the coun-
try, and that if the development of
our resources is to go on and our sur
plus products distributed to the con-
Stunning populations of this and other
countries, our harbors must be deep
ened, our. rivers further improved, and
canals constructed wherever such may
be made to serve a useful purpose;
and there are several such places
throughout the country-localities
where comparatively narrow stretches
of land may be traversed and naviga-
BILE waters, either of lake and river or
ocean and gulf connected. The neces-
sity of this class of Improvement was
never so great as now, because the de-
velopment of our resources was never
so pronounced as at this time. There
is scarcely a locality, north, south, east
or west, that is not feeling the touch
of this spirit of development and pro-
gress. Lands hotherto lying idle, To-
calities heretofore neglected, resources
up TO this time disregarded. are now
being developed, so that all our trans
portation facilities-wagon and rail
road, river and harbor, supplemented
by artificial waterways-will soon be
required, indeed, are now demanded
Mr.. Chairman. we near much of tariff
and other forms of taxation, and they
are a necessity-else government ma
tional, state, county and municipal
cannot go on. The tax burdens for
these purposes are heavy, but not
nearly so great as the transportation
tax by wagon, rail and water in the
United States. These. it is estimated,
are more than two and one-half times
greater than the former The people
are taxed, so it is said, $4,000, 100000 a
year to support the various govern
mental agencies-federal, state, county
and municipal-and more than $4,000
100000 for transportation by the three
methods just mentioned-wagon, rail
and water-so that there is no great
er problem confronting the American
ton, and into the settling of this prob
lem two things at least enter-effcien-
cy and cost. The people are interested
in both Efficiency, because on that
depends safety and dispatch in the
transportation of person and property.
Cost, because on the transportation
charges depend largely the profits of
him who uses the transportation facil-
add materially to these facilities, but
they are great regulators of freight
and passenger rates, of which all the
people receive the benefit. some more
than others. perhaps. but each and all
reap to a certain degree directly or
indirectly, a benefit from the lowering
of rates by the increase of water
transportation facilities Hence. I re-
peat: There is not a more important
measure claiming the attention of this
body than the rivers and harbors bill
Having for its purpose the develop
ment of our numerous harbors and the
Improvement of the $4,000 miles of
navigable waterways now being used.
together with the $4,000 more miles
of rivers that may be easily made nav
lgable. and all to the end that annie
nished to the people in so far as these
can be furnished by this class of de-
velopment, its Importance cannot be
overestimated.
MT Chairman, l said this is a most
important measure. and it is. But it
is more. 1t is also the most popular
or any introduced or that will be in
troduced into this House. The people,
OF course, recognize that the great
supply oills for the carrying on of the
government must be passed. They
Tolerate the naval appropriation bill. |
which provides for the battleships-
those powerful engines of destruction
and the military appropriation bill. |
whlch Keeps up the army to a stand |
ara or efficiency, because, forsooth, |
some time in the future they may be |
needed Tor purposes of defense. War
may come. an enemy may menace. vet |
these are happily uncertain and. we
nope remote possibilities. But we |
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