The Nevada County picayune., 1912-10-04

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
 Little Rock-The use of the ma chinery and force of experts now cnt- ployed in digging the Panama canal, in the construction of a deep water way connecting the great lakes and the Gulf of Mexico, was urged by speakers at the annual convention of the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep Water- ways Association i'll this city. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, nominee of the Progressive party for president of the United States, who made non-politi- cal speech before the convention. Of. fered this as solution of the problem and the same course was urged by other distinguished men who spoke. It was pointed out that the well or ganized and highly trained body of men now engaged on the Panama Canal work will be available within the next year or two and that they should not be allowed to scatter until this second great waterway project is completed.
 Col Roosevelt spoke at the second days session of the convention. He abandoned politics for the day and spoke only on the subject of deep waterways. He discussed also the problem of preventing the recurrence Of floods in the Mississippi valley such as that which occurred this year.
 "One of the main troubles in se- curing deep waterways and utilizing the spare flood water" said Col. Roose- champions of any one project to look the whole problem in the face. This problem cannot be handled piecemeal; there is need of action from the stand point of the nation as a whole. In the past so much money has been spent in improving small creeks and rivers that the whole system of water way improvement has been associated with unpleasant memories in the eyes of many people. It rests with such an organization as this to remove that stain and convince the people of tho problem from the standpoint Of the general welfare.
 That is why so emphatically be- lieve that this and other such prob lens must be handled by a commiS- sion: it will not do 10 leave it at the mercy of scramblng interests. If we allow it to be handled only through the Initiative of congress we will find many congressman reluctant 10 20 into q general scheme like the Missis- sppi river improvement unless their local schemes are coupled with il. Others who have no creek they want drained will have a federal building they want constructed The essential problem should be considered as q whole: the treatment of the leyees of the lower Mississippi as part of the problem. and another par the pre- vention of freshet water striking the Mississippi from the Ohio and Ms souri rivers
 Where the Flood Begins.
 The flood that devastates Missis- sippl and Louisiana starts in Pennsvl- vania. Ohio. Montana and Wyomnc
 
 must be considered in is entirety and must be considered by the national government. Only the national gov crnment can deal in matters Of tha- importance. and the national govern ment will not deal with it unless you take an interest in it. speak as ono having had experience.
 It is fortunate that the need fer federal action has been impressed upon our people at the time when the federal authorities are able to de. velop the very instrument for meet ing the need We have at Panama q store of individual and collective skill which may be untilized for the pur. pose of treating the problem of thn Mississippi as we treated the problem O. Panama
 The colonel told how he had made the digging of the Panama canal DOS sible and declared that he could no.