Las Vegas optic., 1914-12-09
WATERWAYS MEET
OPENS A BUSY
session
MATTERS OF MORE THAN oRDlN-
AIRY INTEREST WILL BE
CONSIDERED

| portant meeting ever held of the Ma
tional Rivers and Harbors congress
was opened here today, for il signalled
a relentless fight for liberal federal
aid in the development OF the inland
waterways. With the rivers and har-
bors bill in congress undergoing a
pruning from $5S.OOO,OOO to s2O,OOO,O0O
the delegates from the river" states
declare that war has been declared
against the waterways of the United
States"
It Is expected that President Viii
son win accept the Invitation to ad-
dress the congress, for the attitude Of
the administration in this matter is
eagerly sought both by congress and
by the waterway delegates who are
known as the Second congress" The
semi-official announcement that the
government will pursue a policy Of re-
trenGhment in appropriations, particu-
larly for river and harbor improvement
has brought protest from every sec
ton where the improvements have
been planned and begun, and as all
sections of the country are involved
the gathering today was unusually
large and unusually anxious to thresh
out the matter Every delegation has
its pet hone to pick with the oppon-
ents of liberal appropriations. Some
pointed remarks will probably be made
regarding the recent filibuster on the
appropriation bill.
The waterways delegates are deter
mined to remove the odious term pork
barrel from the appropriations sought,
1t is claimed that great deal of
misunderstanding exists in and out
OF congress on the subject. TO meet
the emergency, it is probable that a
comprehensive schedule of waterway
development will be endorsed. When
this movement was advanced last
year, it was feeble and unsuccessful
Those who advanced the idea could
read the handwriting ON the wall, for
the epithet of pork barrel" was as
signed as the reason why President
Wilson carefully avoided attending the
convention.
1t is fully anticipated that the dele
gates will eagerly endorse reform
measure, such as that proposed by
Congressman James A. Frear Of Wis
!consin, to abolish pork barrel legis
lation entirely and create strong ad
yisory board Of high class men, in
Guiding army and civil engineers anC
members of the cabinet, to have su
pervision Of all waterways. Such I
board. making its annual recommen
' dations TO congress, would act for the
scientific and logical benefit of wa
terways development
Congress- says Mr.. Frear, "car
cure q growing cancer only by using
. the surgeons knife. Such cure wouIC
reduce the resent heavy tax burdens
I and give many millions of dollars an
nually to legitimate governmental
9 expenditures. Such method of hand
5 ling the waterway problem woulC
e make short shrift Of the annual leg
/ islatfve course which poisons all 9th
$ er legislation by its system Of bartei
e and trade and other influences will
>. which It comes in contact.
, Fully 1000 delegates are attending
g the waterways convention. Mr. Ka
D Flu Shan, the Chinese minister. will
y speak on the waterways Of his coun
: try, which have been in constant use
4 for thousands of years. Champ Clark
y Senators Weeks, Simmons, Smith o.
y Michigan, and Ex-Governor Dineen O.
: Illinois are also to speak. Ex-NIayol
T Magee Of Pittsburgh; John Fl. Barn
hard Of New Orleans; and Irving G
/ Norwood Of Davenport, Iowa, will ad
I dress the convention.
Senator Salisbury of Delaware viii
/ speak on The Chesapeake and Della
ware canal; Senator Fletcher Of Flor
ida on the Oklawaha river; Senator
Sheppard of Texas, on Trinity river
5 and Representative Raker of Califor
i. Inia on the Sacramento and Feather
J rivers. Congressman J. Hampton
Moore, president Of the Atlantic Deep
er Waterways association, will speak
on THE Pork Barrel
. Evening sessions will be held to-
night and tomorrow night. the latter
/ being ladies' night, at which Mrs. sa-
rah Willard strout president Of the
Women's National Rivers and Harbors
congress will speak and preside.
-------------------A--
Best For KIdneya--says Doctor
/ Ilr n D Ny~os ra.......s44 :,