The Washington herald., 1915-12-10
|LASHES congress
FOR idle talk
Representative Meeker Says
Members Are ''Sissyfying''
Government.
FORGET PORK, HE URGES
Rivers and Harbors Congress Hears
Pleas for Better Waterways
to Aid Defense.
FORGET PORK, HE URGES

Congress Is SO much taken up will
the 'stssyfication of the government
that II has no time to discuss the rea
issues, said Representative J. Il. Meek
i er. OF st. Louis. who addressed the con
vertion of the National Rivers and Har
bors Congress In the Willard Hotel yes
terday afternoon. Representative Meek
er, who Is one of the new members o.
| the House of Representatives., deliverc,
vigorous attack on the Senate anc
House members for their fear of thu
| feminine ballot
| IF Congress and the nate will for
| get its raffia work and stop knittins
| night caps. it may be possible to con.
| vince them OF things Eof some import :
\ he said.
Representative Meeker said the way tc
| accomplish the passage of proper mea $.
| ures for the Improvement of rivers and
harbors Is to organize public sentiment
and educate II into forgetting about pork
barrels. graft and misappropriation OF
public funds
We may have ono war in a century
but We need our waterways every day
or our lives, he said, i'm referring Il
| the preDa redness program. He indorsed
the attitude of President Wilson on pre-
paredness. but suggested that the coun-
try could well afford to put five dollars
hito uttPtE waterways every dollar
| invested in a military program. lie ar
! gued that the improvement of water
ways would overcome the top-heavy
growth OF the great seaports at the ex-
pense OF the farming areas and keep the
people on the farms
Judge d. ID. Woodmansee. of Cincin-
natl. Ohio. said improved WATERWAYS
meant improved means for the trans
portation of the farmers produce to
city markets.
Seamnn's Act scored.
uov. Edward F. Dunn. of Illinois,
expressed a fear that Congress might
limit appropriations for rivers and
harbors because of the great cost of
the preparedness program.
Advocating the adoption of a broad
policy by the Congress. including the
draining of river and bottom lands
along with the improvement of water
ways. Senator James A. Reed, of Mis-
souri,, spoke at the afternoon session
on The Mississippi River"
IF the government can spend money
to put water on dry land. il ought to
make expenditures to draw water off
of wet lands" said the Senator YES
sells should be able to go from the ex-
treme northwestern section of the
country all the way to the Gulf Of
Mexico"
Recent merchant marine legislation
has been the most stupid and destructive
on record" said Representative William
f. Humphrey. of Seattle. Mr.. Humphrey
scored the seaman's act. and said the
only measure of benefit to the merchant
marine passed since he was a member
OF Congress was the Panama Canal act
giving free passage to coastwise vessels.
and this act was repealed.
The evening session opened with a talk
on the increa sing utility of the CONNER
cial motor vehicle by II. L. Whittemore.
of Ardmore. Pa The early history of
the Mississippi River and mans cease
less efforts to keep il within its walls
was told by representative Ben G.
Humphreys. of Grecnville Miss. The
closing address was by Henry Farr, who
spoke for a. T.. Dillmont. OF Buenos
Ayres. Argentina. on Argentine and Its
Waterways