The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-09-22
Democratic Leader for ImprOv-
ing Western Waterways.
Colonel Deakyne and "POrk'
HOwIers Severely Criticised.
BIG DITCH TEDDY'S MONUMENT
House Speaker Pays Ex-Pres-
ident Passing Compliment.
River Trade Must Be Revived
Now or Never.

St Louis, Mo, Sept. 22.-The oppo-
nentS of waterways improvements, the
adverse report of Lieutenant Colonel
of Engineers Deakyne on the proposed
Improvement of the Missouri river
and the persons who cry PORK at
every mention of river improvements
in the middle west were denounced Dy
Speaker Champ Clark, of the national
house of representatives, in an ad-
dress before the Business Mems league
here today. He called attention 10 me
very small gain in population through
out the middle west in recent years
and advocated the re-establishment OF
cheap water transportation as the
principal remedy for the existing as
parity of growth between the MlsslS.
sippi valley and the seaboard' gun
and lake states.
Referring to the advantages which
might be derived from the building OF
the Panama canal and the improve
ment of the Mississippi and its trlbu-
taries, he said:
y Golden Opportunity.
THE people of this city, this state,
this valley have a golden opportunity
to grow in wealth and population
which will never come again.
Traffic on the Mississippi and MIS-
souri, must be revived soon or never.
The congressional delegation from the
Mississippi valley cannot succeed IN
definitely in securing appropriations
unless there is a speedy and 1mpor-
tant increase in steamboatlnS- IhIs
can be accomplished in two ways:
First, build suitable boats ana SET
them at work; second, construct ade-
ouate wharfs and river rail terminals
1T is evident the propaganda
against river improvement is Wen
financed and whoever are BEHIND IL
must believe that improved rivers
would injure their interests, otherwise
they would not put up the money for
such an expensive propaganda:
Former Senator Burton, OF ONO
fn q
on his opposition to river improve
ments At any rate his frieds are
flooding the country with literature
to that effect. Mr.. Burton Is an able
man of high character. l served with
him for many years in the house when
he was chairman of the committee on
rivers and harbOrS. The harbOrS ana
lakes of Ohio as well as the ONO river
have been amply provided for. OF
course there was no pork in the APP
preparation when Ohio's rivers and
harbors were involved. Perish the
thought.
A Pork Distinction
IF an appropriation is for the i'm
provement of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New
York or New England waters" the
speaker declared, lit is a patriotic eX-
penditure, but if the appropriation is
to be used in Iowa, Missouri, Arkan-
sas and that region it is pork.
The speaker continued:
IF Senator Burton was Justified
and he WaS-ln providing locks and
dams on the Ohio river, why is it
sin objectionable to provide locks and
dams for the Tennessee, the Cumber-
land and the Arkansas rivers %
Colonel Deakyne seems to have en-
tirely misconceived what scope his
report on the Missouri river was to
take" Mr.. Clark said. Army engin-
GERS are useful in making surveys,
plans and estimates for public works
and for constructing them, but their
opinions are not particularly valuable
in forecasting conditions of commerce
on improved waterways"
Tribute to Teddy.
After referring to the ancient high
ways and other public works of
Caesar as the only perpetual monu-
ment to his memory" Speaker Clark
predicted that the Panama canal
would be a similar monument to
Theodore Roosevelt.
The fantastic capers former Presi-
dent Roosevelt cut, the unworthy men
he promoted, the men whom he thrust
into his Ananias club-aIl these will
be forgotten, but the great canal will
remain as the most conspicuous me-
mortal of this extraordinary man. 1t
will be remembered by a grateful pos
terity to the last syllable of recorded
time that it was during his admins
tration and largely through his in
strumentality that the Panama canal
was begun"