Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-02-20

Montpelier, Feb. 13-The afternoon and
evening of the legislative day were
largely taken up by speakers on water
ways, in connection with the barge ter
minal measures before the Legislature.
A Joint assembly was held at 2:30 o'clock
this afternoon, at which the principal
speakers were the Hon. S. A. Thompson,
secretary of the national rivers and har-
bors congress, Washington, d. c., and
the Hon. John n. Cole, chairman of
waterways and public lands, Boston.
Capt Charles Campbell, water transport
tation and terminal expert of New York
city and r. H. Rogers. terminal engineer
and manager of the General Electric
company, lighterage department Sche-
nectady, n. Y.
There was little tilt in the joint
assembly this afternoon which reached
the humorous stage. Before the speak
ing began. Mr. Durham of Brattleboro
moved that, inasmuch as there was
much unfinished business on the calen-
dar, the time for speaking be limited to
an hour and half, or until four o'clock.
The motion was carried.
The first speaker of the afternoon, the
Hon. S. A. Thompson, hurried through
his talk, and had just stated that he
would close in order to give the other
speakers a chance before the time was
up, when he was interrupted by Senator
Rowland, who said that he for one want
ed to hear more of what Mr.. Thompson
had to say. He. therefore, made the mo-
ton that Mr.. Thompson be allowed to
speak as long as he desired, without re-
striction. Mr. Hopkins of Burlington
amended the motion by including all the
speakers of the afternoon. Senator Maui
rice further amended it by giving all the
speakers all the time they wanted inside
the time limit of four o'clock.
Senator Maurice's motion was put to
n vote and lost lis to 81 Senator How
lands motion was carried, as amended,
and the time was at the disposal of the
speakers At this time Mr.. Thompson
decided that his speech had better be
discontinued and he gave way to Mr..
Cole.
MIR. THOMPSON
Mr.. Thompson outlined the benefits of
waterway transportation and gave fig
ures to show that the cost of such is
much cheaper than any other kind. He
also cited examples of what barge ter
mnal facilities had done for certain
cities in this country and abroad, espe-
.
Gentlemen, you cannot take Vermont
TO the sea, but you can bring the sea to
Vermont" said Mr. Thompson. zap,
pause.)
"You have been dipping up dollars
with a. tin cup, while you may dip W
gold eagles with a steam shovel" de-
rlared the speaker, in telling of the bene-
fits which might be expected from q
barge terminal in the State. A little later
he declared:
IT am not here to argue for Burlington
but to argue for the State of Vermont
More applause)
Mr. Thompson maintained that expert
ence had shown that the increase of the
facilities of waterway transportation haC
also increased the business Of the rail
roads, He argued strongly that water
ways transportation down Lake Cham
plain be considered as a means of get
ting Vermont granite, marble, crushed
stone for road building, etc, to othel
parts of the country.
MIR. COLES REMARKS
Mr.. Cole brought greetings from Calvin
Coolidge, Vermont boy, now Governor
of Massachusetts to the people of Yer
mont.
"Give them my love-" Governor Coolidg,
told Mr.. Cole when he started for Yer
mont.
The speaker reviewed Governo
Coolidges work in connection with tn
establishment of barge terminal a
New Bedford on emergency funds. 81
great had been his belief in waterwa.
transportation.
Mr.. Cole emphasized the Importance o
Vermonts part in supplying the countr.
with the necessities Of life. He spok
\of the importance of the mills a
Winooski, and told of his experience witt
the Massachusetts Milk Chocolate com
pany which had planned to locate II