The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-11-26
GREAT INLAND
PLAN DEPENDS
ON MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Valley Association
Discusses Possibilities for
Future
9.FOOT CHANNEL URGED
Want Minneapolis and Chicago
Connected With Gulf Of
Mexico
9-FOOT CHANNEL URGED

St. Louis. Mo, Nov. 26.-(AP)-
All phases of water transportatl IL
development in the middle and near
northwes. were discussed here to-
day by speakers before the annual
convention of the Mississippi Val
ley association. The Mississippi
Valley association includes in its
membership individuals and organ
izations Which are interested in the
T. velopment of inland waterways
and flood prevention on the Mis-
sissippi and tributary streams.
Speakers today included Secre-
tary of War Dwight f. Davis, Con-
gresham w. f. Hull of Peoria, Illi-
nois, and Cleveland A. Newton, FORM
or Missouri congressman and now
general counsel for the Mississippi
Valley association.
Newton urged the association to
fight for standardized channels, nine
feet deep, in the rivers Of the mid
die west. Revision of plans an
nounced by congress, he said, will be
necessary to permit the construction
Of nine-foot channels in the Mis-
sissippi from st. Louis to Minneap-
oils and in the Missouri from st.
Louis to Kansas City and Sioux City.
Urges 9.fOOt Channel
As outlined by Newton the plan in
cludes a nine-foot channel from the
Twin Cities to New Orleans and
through the intercoastal canal to
Houston, Galveston and Corpus
Christi. Texas; from Chicago and
Great Lakes to the gulf via the ILL
nois river; on the Tennessee river
from Paducah to Chattanooga and
Knoxville and on the Cumberland
river from its mouth to the Ken
lucky coal fields.
Congress has authorized S5O,O0O,-
600 year to do this work, Newton
said, and in addition $35 100000 a
year should be spent for flood con-
troll work Not all of this money
has actually been appropriated,
however, and he gave it as his opin-
ion that the addition Of new con-
struction works would make $780,
100000 a year inadequate to finance
waterway construction projects.
Newton recalled that the associa-
tion last year pledged itself to sup
port legislation providing additional
capital for the federal barge line;
legislation providing for through
routes and joint rail and water rates
with equitable distribution Of reve-
nucs collected on joint hauls and ade-
quate flood control legislation with
a provision whereby the government
would bear the entire cost Of the
work. The Denison law has taken
care Of the joint rail and water
transportation problem and the
Jones-Reid bill has gone long way
toward providing a solution for the
flood problem, Newton said. Another
measure advocated by the associa-
ton which now is law is the Jones'
White law to provide additional
funds for the merchant marine, the
speaker reported.
Progress Being Made
Secretary Davis said more prog
ress had been made during the last
four years in the development of in
land waterways than in any SINH.
lar period in the history of the ma
tion and that 1928 was particularly
good year. The physical work OF
lmprovin., river channels has been
expedited, the sDenison bill passed
and a survey launched for the pur-
pose of developing coordinated plan
for navigation, irrigation, reclama.
ton, power and flood control work
Davis said the S24,OOO,OOO appro-
priated made available last May fol-
flood control will have been spent
by the end of the present tlsca
year and that the administration will
urge upon congress the provision OF
adequate funds to bring this work te
early completion. When the work
is done. he said, the Mississippi Val
ley will be better protected from
floods than it ever has been before
Commenting on the Denison law.
provision for joint rail and water
rates, Davis said it lis essential il
the benefits of cheaper water trans
portation are to be brought to thu
terror districts of the country. W.
desire and seek cooperation with thu
railroads and we sincerely hope thai
the railroads will cooperate with u:
III establishing the routes and rate.
we desire, with equitable division Of
accruing revenues, particularly sucl
routes and rates as will move oul
agricultural exportable surplu:
promptly and cheaply."
The war department, manages ant
operates the federal barge lines ant
under the terms of the Denison bill
will continue to do so until Certain
<ahekac IN thu ci,ccacs of r.