THE WOMAN'S NATIONAL RIVERS AND 



HARBORS CONGRESS 



By LYDIA ADAMS-WILLIAMS, Corresponding Secretary of Woman's National Press Association 

 Vice-president of Woman's National Rivers and Harbors Congress, and Chairman of Waters 

 ways Committee of D. C. Federation of Women's Clubs 



T 



HE first biennial meeting of the 

 Woman's Xational Rivers and 

 Harbors Congress was held at the 

 New Willard Hotel, Washington, D 

 C, December 9 10 and 11, 1908. A 

 large attendance, comprising delegates 

 nepresenting over twenty States, the 

 Pacific coast and Hawaii, combined to 

 make the snccess of the congress sur- 

 pass the most sanguine expectations. 

 The membership includes women of Na- 

 tional prominence, writers, lecturers, 

 philanthropists and other well-known 

 club women who have for vears been 

 working not for individual, but for Na- 

 tional welfare — not alone for the pres- 

 ent generation but for posterity. 



The congress was called to order by 

 the president, Mrs. Hoyle Tomkics, 

 who delivered an able address, in which 

 she said that the greatest authority on 

 waterways in the Ignited States, the 

 Hon. Joseph E. Ransdell, had created 

 a faith in his policy and for that, wom- 

 an is ready to sacrifice her comfort 

 and go to work. ' Through their train- 

 ing in household economics, which lie 

 at the basis of all government, social 

 and political, the women grasped the 

 idea," said Mrs. Tomkies, "and saw 

 in this work for waterways and for- 

 ests the duty of the hour. 



"It was thus, with earnest purpose 

 and determined efifort, the women 

 organized the W^oman's National Riv- 

 ers and Harbors Congress. We stand 

 for the development of our inland 

 waterways and harbors and for the 

 extension of our forests as one prob- 

 lem." 



Hon. Joseph E. Ransdell, who has 

 for the third time been elected Presi- 

 98 



dent of the National Rivers and Har- 

 bors Congress, on July 24, wrote Mrs. 

 Tomkies as follows : 



"I agree with you in the wisdom 

 of linking waterways and forests as 

 one problem. There is the closest con- 

 nection between the two. Ambassador 

 Jusserand said: 'No forests, no riv- 

 ers,' and it is true. * * '■' In my 

 judgment the forestry people will wel- 

 come your assistance as much as the 

 waterways people. Air. Gifl:ord Pin- 

 chot. Chief Forester of the United 

 States, is one of the strongest friends 

 of waterways in the country." 



The following is an extract from a 

 letter- of Mr. Pinchot to Mrs. Tom- 

 kies : 



"You are to be congratulated upon 

 your organization of the Woman's Na- 

 tional Rivers and Harbors Congress. 

 I am exceedingly glad you have in- 

 cluded in its platform the preserva- 

 tion of forests. Forest preservation 

 is very closely allied to waterway im- 

 provement ; in fact, the two go hand 

 in hand and are very important parts 

 of the whole movement for the con- 

 -servation of the country's natural re- 

 sources. You have my best wishes for 

 success in the important work you 

 have undertaken." 



At the meeting in Washington, the 

 constitution of the congress was 

 amended to read as follows : 



"The objects of this congress shall 

 be the promotion of the improvement of 

 the • meritorious inland waterways and 

 harbors, the preservation of the forests 

 and the conservation of the natural re- 

 sources ; and to secure proper legisla- 

 tion, both National and State, and ade- 



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