The Washington herald., 1916-12-07
new WATERWAYSURGED
BY RIVERS DELEGATES
Convention Told Of Imperative Need
of Additional Routes.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

States Reclamation Service, asserted
home makers Of the future Will seek those
parts OF this country most readily &C.
| cessible by water and susceptible Of de-
velopment by that means.
i Illustrated poems, testifying to the ne
cessity of waterway improvement and to
the beauty Of the national park system,
were features Of an address at the night
session by Mrs. Lydia Adams, chairman
OF conservation Of the District Federa-
tion of women's Clubs.
| Sessions will be resumed this morning.
continuing this afternoon, tonight and to-
morrow.
The afternoon session yesterday was
opened by J. Edward Miller, of Chicago.
vice president Of the congress.
J. s. Daughefty, Of Houston, Tex, ad-
dressed the convention on the whole
transportation question.
Sound Economic Policy.
Senator Duncan U. Fletcher, of Flor
ida, said the Improvement Of waterways
should be carried on as a sound economic
policy. Senator Fletcher said the growth
or commerce demands better Transports
ton facilities than the nation enjoys.
Car shortages prove, he said, that the
railroads are not able to cope with the
transportation question. He advocated
| support of administration plans to
strengthen the entire inland water sys-
tenn. He prophesied the old cry Of pork
VIII be raised again, but declared these
can De no expenditures Of public funds %
saieguarded as those made for the I'm
provement OF harbors and rivers.
"A National Spirit was the subject of
an address by Representative John n.
Small. of North Carolina. He deplored
the lack of Congressional attention to
rivers and harbors, saying too much
time Is given to petty politics
representative Luther w. Mott, Of
New York. made a strong plea for a ship
canal to carry the trade of the Great
Lakes 10 the seaboard at New York
waterways Neglected.
representative Joe Eagle, of Texas.
who was called upon as supposedly op-
| posed to river and harbor DEVELOPMENT.
proved one Of its strongest advocates.
he showed that for every dollar spent
upon waterways. the nation has spent
SlS on the army, navy, and pensions. and
but for the mite devoted to vatervay,.
these other projects would have gone
begging
Brig. Gen. W. H. Bigsby, retired
formerly chief of engineers, said his
experience taught him there had been
a smaller percentage of disputed
amounts in appropriations for rivers
and harbors than in any other business.
| What do you know about Pork" was
the subject Of informal discussion by
the delegates after the scheduled
speeches OF the afternoon had been de-
| livered.
The session concluded with discussion
| OF the New York State barge canal
system by Frank B. Williams, State
engineer.
The convention was opened at 10 O'Clock
Yesterday morning by Representative
John H. Small, Of North Carolina After
| invocation by Rev. Charles Wood of
the Church of the Covenant, the address
OF welcome was given by Vice President
Marshall
! w. G. Ross. president Of the American
Association of Port Authorities, startled
! the convention by telling the DELEGATES
that more grain Is left in Montreal than
In any other port in thu world
U. $. Lacks Good Harbors.
| II an enemy should force the Amer
lean navy from the seas, declared Rear
| Admiral william g. Benson, the con-
nection Of natural waterways of the
Delaware and Chesapeake with New
York would be of great strategic value
to the fleet. He asserted there is not
frst-class harbor, for military pur-
poses. in the United States.
On the military value throughout
the country Of improved waterways,
Lieut.. Col. Henry Jervey, Of the En-
gineer Corps, addressed the assembly.
In his annual report, Joseph E Rams
dell, president of the congress, advo-
Gated the creation by the national
Congress of commission to supervise
waterways.
The only feminine voice at the morn
| ing session was that of Mrs. Mary
North. Of Virginia, secretary of the
Women's National Rivers and Harbors
| Congress, who said she represented
| thousands of women who want better
waterways, conservation of forests and
| sanitation of streams