The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-05
.BANKHEAD LIVED
 | ID SEE PROJECTS HE URGED CARRIED INTO FULL EFFECT
Beasley Points Out That Death Came Just As the Final Step Was Taken \
 In Great Pro-
 gramme

In 1911 when Senator Bankhead was about to begin his first regular term in the Senate of the United States he evolved and announced a programme in the execution of which he would be guided.
 As he was dying-certainly on the day of his death--the conferees on the part of the House and Senate were writing an agreement on the water power bill.
 This agreement marked the comple tion of the programme outlined by the Alabamian nine years previously
 Cecil A, Beasley of Fayette. for long years associated with Senator Bank head, told the story in Birmingham yesterday morning.
 'In 191f,'' he said. "the senator just elected to full term, outlined to me the things he intended to do as member of the Senate for Alabama. In detailing the scheme the senator talked at length.
 He said: First. the Warrior river must be developed. There must be complete canalizaton of the stream. There must be boats and barges float ing from Birmingham to Mobile. Bir- mingham must be in such contact 
 profit from the improvements and Mo bile harbor and bay must be so well prepared that they can serve the neces- sities incident to the development.
 "And there must be a good roads bill enacted by Congress to the end that every county in Alabama, by CO., operation. with the government, may construct highways. And there must be a national highway reaching from Washington to California;
 MT. Beasley declared that next the senator thought of water power de- velopment and included such develop ment for Alabama in his programme.
 Alabama is richer than any other state of the Union." said the secretary, ''in potential water power. Senator Bankhead was deeply interested. In his interview with me he continued:
 "'And we must make it possible by a bill in Congress for the people of the state to develop and put to work all the water power which now flows use- lessly to sea. By harnessing this pow er we will not only turn the wheels of industry. but we will conserve the supply of coal which nature has de- posted under Alabama earth.
 "'And when we have done all. this we will have completed the work.
 MT. Beasley then proceeded to state that the Warrior is canalized, and that on it's bosom float boats and barges bearing the products of the Birming- ham district to the sea.
 Alabama he added 'has indorsed the bill of Congress under thes terms of which good roads, in every county of Alabama, are probable. When Con gress passed the Bankhead bill and Alabama voted a bond issue of $25.000,- 900 by means of which to take advan- r. tage of that bill. this term of the sena- tors programme was checked off. And, of course. everyone is aware that the Bankhead highway. in more than tenta- tive form. stretches from Washing tom to the Pacific coast.
 And Congress. after months and months of debate, has enacted water power bill. It is not as elastic as the senator would have had it. But it IS elastic enough to permit of the high development of latent power in the Ala bama streams
 And thus the programme was com . pleted. It is remarkable coincidence that the conferees on the water power bill were writing their report just as the senator passed away.
 MT Beas1ey explained that the devel- l opment of Muscle Shoals was an after | thought in that it was not included in l the senator's programme. In 1911 1t was more of hazy dream possible ] of eventual realization-but not one | the fulfillment of which was regarded as possible within a dozen years. When l the beginning of the war made it inn i perative that the government take Fsteps to prepare itself from a munitions standpoint against danger of foreign enemies, Senator Bankhead and Senator lCnderwood knew that the time had 1 come for the offering of Muscle Shoals I to the nation. They made the offer l and it was accepted.
 The senator had about complete his work" concluded MT. Beasley. '1f l it was necessary that the senator die at all it was peculiarly fitting that l he should have passed away just as the last item of his programme was l checked off