602 



CONSERVATION 



ment and urging that the work be done 

 by direct Federal appropriation, rather 

 than on a bond basis, prepared by James 

 J. Hill, of the Great Northern Railway, 

 was read by Congressman Rainey. At 

 eleven-thirty Hon. William J. Bryan was 

 introduced and received a striking ova- 

 tion. He delivered an eloquent ad- 

 dress, urging the pressing necessity of 

 waterway improvement on a compre- 

 hensive plan comprising the conserva- 

 tion of all natural resources relating to 

 the running waters, and indicating the 

 definitely constructive policy for which 

 he stands. The address evoked en- 

 thusiastic applause. 



The feature of the afternoon session 

 was an address by Hon. Gififord Pin- 

 chot, Chairman of the National Con- 

 servation Commission, on the subject 

 of "Waterways and the Conservation 

 Movement."' Mr. Pinchot defined con- 

 servation as the application of common 

 sense to the common good, and ex- 

 plained in detail the necessity of pro- 

 ceeding along broadly constructive 

 lines in the improvement of our water- 

 ways in such manner as to secure for 

 the people of the country generally the 

 full commercial and industrial benefits 

 to be derived from the control of the 

 waters, themselves ranking among our 

 richest resources. The address re- 

 ceived close attention, and evoked em- 

 phatic expressions of approval. The 

 remainder of the afternoon was de- 

 voted to five-minute talks by delegates, 

 which did much to crystallize sentiment 

 and determine the character of the 

 convention. 



The evening was devoted to a recep- 

 tion in the Coliseum, at which Hon. 

 John Temple Graves delivered an elo- 

 quent address, strongly commending 

 the waterway movement. 



On Friday morning several commit- 

 tees reported that on nominations 

 recommending the reelection of the 

 former officers, which was done with 

 enthusiasm ; the list including Mr. W. 

 K. Kavanaugh, of St. Louis, President ; 

 Vice-presidents from the interior 

 states; Mr. W. F. Saunders, of St. 

 Louis, Secretary; Mr. George H. Mon- 



roe, of Peoria, Treasurer ; a Board of 

 Governors chosen from the interior 

 states, and an Advisory Council, con- 

 sisting of the executives of the com- 

 monwealth's most affected by the proj- 

 ect for a lakes-to-gulf deep waterway. 



The election was followed by the ad- 

 dress of Col. John A. Ockerson, of the 

 Mississippi River Commission (U. S. 

 Delegate to the International Congress 

 of Navigation, recently held in St. 

 Petersburg), entitled "What Europe 

 is Doing with Waterways." The 

 speaker pointed out that while our rail- 

 way facilities are superior to those of 

 Europe in economy, this advantage is 

 more than counterbalanced by the 

 greater distance of freight movement 

 in America ; and that Europe is so 

 much better advanced in waterway de- 

 velopment as to give this country ob- 

 ject lessons which must be first fol- 

 lowed and then carried further if our 

 commercial supremacy is to be main- 

 tained. He was followed by Mr. Theo- 

 dore P. Shonts, President of the Chicago 

 and Alton system paralleling the line of 

 the lakes-to-gulf deep waterway (also 

 President of the Interboro Rapid 

 Transit System of New York, and for- 

 merly Chairman of the Panama Canal 

 Commission) in an address on "The 

 Future of Rail and River Transporta- 

 tion."' Mr. Shonts held, as does Mr. 

 Hill of the Great Northern, Mr. Harri- 

 man of the Illinois Central, Mr. Finley 

 of the Southern, and all other leaders 

 among the railway systems paralleling 

 the Mississippi and its tributaries, that 

 the improvement of navigation in, and 

 the restoration of commerce to these 

 rivers will not only be advantageous 

 to the railways, but that it is impera- 

 tively required in order that the railway 

 systems may be made of the highest 

 value to the people of the country trav- 

 ersed by them. Both addresses evoked 

 great applause. 



The consideration of the report of 

 the resolutions committee was assigned 

 for the afternoon session ; but on a vote 

 it was called for during the morning 

 session and was submitted by the chair- 



