THE RIVERS AND HARBORS CONGRESS 



Fifth Annual Session, Held in Washington, D, C, December 



9, 10, 11, and 12 — Five Thousand Delegates Present 



Congressional Support Pledged 



THE fifth annual session of the "and thousands of articles advocating 

 Rivers and Harbors Congress our cause have been printed in every 

 was held in Washington, at the section of the land. And yet the 

 New Willard Hotel, December 9, 10, definite results we have in view are 

 II and 12. Five thousand delegates still far from attainment. In spite of 

 were in attendance, among them many the fact that at the last session of 

 of the Governors and others who were Congress there was not a dissenting 

 in Washington for the Joint Conserva- voice, the session closed without the 

 tion Conference ; and more actual passage of a rivers and harbors bill, 

 work was done, bringing into view and we have, so far, no positive as- 

 more tangible results, than at any ses- surance of any better treatment at this 

 sion of the Congress yet held. session. I am convinced that we should 



Among the speakers were some of insist in the strongest manner possible, 

 the most widely known men in the on the prompt passage by Congress of 

 public, political and scientific life of the an adequate rivers and harbors bill, 

 United States ; and one of the most in- and on the commitment of Congress 

 teresting talks of the three days' ses- to a broad and liberal policy of in- 

 sion was that by Ambassador Bryce, of ternal improvement, that will carry an 

 Great Britain. Vice-president Fair- annual appropriation of not less than 

 banks, Andrew Carnegie, Samuel fifty millions of dollars." 

 Gompers, Bishop O'Connell, Governor President Randsell fell in line with 

 Chamberlain, of Oregon, Seth Low, the ideas of President Roosevelt, as 

 of New York, Senator Higgins, of advanced at the Belasco Theater meet- 

 Delaware, Speaker Cannon, Joachim ing opening the Joint Conservation 

 Nabuco, ambassador from Brazil, Conference, when the President de- 

 Senator W. C. Edwards, of the Can- clared for a bond issue suf^cient to 

 adian parliament. Governor Dineen, of cover the cost of the work. He also 

 Illinois, Senator Owen, of Oklahoma, advocated the plan of appointing a 

 Governor JBroward, of Florida, Hon. commission of nine members, to study 

 .James Wilson, Secretary of Agricul- our inland waterways and to suggest 

 ture, J. Horace MacFarland, president to Congress plans for improving them, 

 of the American Civic Association, Vice-president Fairbanks, the next 

 and others, made up the distinguished speaker, also lined up with the advo- 

 list of speakers who addressed the ses- cates of the bond-issue idea, saying 

 sions of the Congress. Representative that, as a large part of the benefits 

 Joseph E. Ransdell, of Louisiana, accruing from a comprehensive plan 

 president of the Congress opened the of internal improvement would fall to 

 sessions. In his opening address Pres- future generations, a reasonable share 

 ident Randsell stated that the time of the cost of the work should be borne 

 has come for immediate Congressional by those generations. He believes, he 

 action, as the people of the country de- said, that the importance and the mag- 

 mand that the Nation's waterways nitude of the work of improving the 

 shall be improved at once. waterways of the country are so ex- 



"Practically the entire press of the ceptional that the country will be fully 



country has favored us," he said ; justified in anticipating future income 



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