WOODS. BOSTON". MASS.. CHAIRMAN 

 FORESTRY COMMITTEE 



J. L. 



SCHEVE. ST. LOUIS. MO.. CHAIRMAN 

 WATERWAYS COMMITTEE 



mittee believes that there is evidently a much better understanding 

 between the railroads and the shippers than heretofore, it the com- 

 parison of the number of letters and complaints received by the com- 

 mittee during the year are any indication of the conditions. Very few 

 letters were received and the work of the committee along this line 

 has been very light and the report will be shortened on account of this 

 connection. 



In conclusion the committee desires to state that the foregoing is a 

 general report of such matters that are pertinent to the interests of 

 the lumbermen and that no attempt has been made on account of time 

 to report on such matters as the recent decision of the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission in regard to the tap lines, the question of milling in 

 transit, etc., as they have been very completely reported in the lumber 

 Journals and the members are no doubt very well posted and familiar 

 with these matters. 



On motion, the report v\'as referred to the committee on officers' 



reports. 



Report of Waterways Committee 



The next order of business was the report of the waterways 

 committee, presented by J. L. Scheve of St. Louis, which follows: 



As the National Hardwood Lumber Association has always taken an 

 active interest in the improvement of our waterways, 1 feel it my duty 

 as acting chairman of the committee on waterways to report what prog- 

 ress has been made towards the lakes-to-the-gulf deep waterway and 

 tributaries. 



Through the efforts of the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep Waterway Associa- 

 tion the National Rivers & Harbors Congress and other allied watci-way 

 organizations, and friends of the movement in Congress. Congress has 

 again this year passed a rivers and harbors bill which appropriates 

 something like .$40,000,000. We now leel confident that precedent has 

 been established and that sentiment has been developed which will 

 guarantee an annual rivers and harbors bill of from )|!40.000,000 to .$50.- 

 000,000. If this plan is adhered to and the money spent in the right 

 direction on the worthy projects, in ten or fifteen years we will see all 

 of our navigable streams improved and put in use. 



The Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep 'n'aterway Association with headiiuarters in 

 St. Ijouis, which has for its object a main waterway trunk lino from 

 the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico with a minimum of fourteen feet 

 in depth, has been vigorously at work during the past year, and through 

 Us efforts has induced Congress to nearly double I he appropriation tor 

 the Mississippi river. 



A special committee headed by President W. K. Kavanaugh of tlie 

 association, was heard by committees iu Congress last April, and through 

 their efforts the Senate commerce committee amended the rivers and 

 harbors bill, appropriating a total of $7,000,000 for the Mississippi river 

 from the mouth of the Missouri river to the Gulf. The distribution of 

 that amount is divided into $1,000,000 for the middle Mississippi from the 

 mouth of the Missouri to Cairo, and $6,000,000 from Cairo south. A 

 larger part of this $6,000,000 will be spent iu permanent levee worlJ 

 and the revetment of the banks. 



The committee asked for $8,000,000 for the lower river, but members 

 of the commerce committee in the Seuate felt that the Missi.ssippi River 

 Commission did not have sufficient equipment at present to spend $8.- 

 O00,(T00 this year, so compromised on $6,000,000. Part of this $6,000,000 

 will be spent in getting new equipment so that next year the $8,000,000 

 can bo appropriated annually for ton years, which will complete the lower 

 stretch of the deep waterway. 



The lakes-to-thc-gulf committee also asked Congress to allow the au- 



EMIL GUENTHER, PHILADELPHIA. PA., 

 CHAIRMAN RAILROAD AND TRANS- 

 PORTATION COMMITTEE 



thorities of the state of Illinois to remove some government locks and 

 dams at Copperas creek in Henry. Illinois, which now obstruct the 

 channel' and impede the flow of the water, thereby causing overflows at 

 high water time. 



The committee also asked Congress to release immediately $1,000,000 

 which was appropriated in 1900, to be spent in actual dredging work 

 for the fourteen-foot channel on the lower Illinois river from Utica to its 

 mouth at Grafton. This $1,000,000 was appropriated with a string to it 

 in 1900 to be spent in connection with the $20,000,000 authorized by the 

 state of Illinois for a deep waterway, from Lockport to Utica, extending 

 the Chicago Ship Canal at a distance of about sixty miles. However, the 

 state of Illinois has, through political factional fights, failed to reach 

 an agreement on a bill to spend this $20,000,000, therefore, the govern- 

 ment's $1,000,000 has been held up, 



I attended the Chicago convention of the Lakes-to-the-Gult Deep Water- 

 way Association, together with several other lumbermen of St. Louis, 

 and can report that it was one of the most enthusiastic waterway meet- 

 ings that has ever been held by the association. Speeches were made 

 by governors, senators and prominent men throughout the United States, 

 urging Congress to immediately adopt the lakes-to-the-gulf project as a 

 whole and begin its construction. The resolutions were forceful and 

 called upon friends of the lakes-to-the-ulf movement to urge their mem- 

 bers of Congress to use every means to bring about the success of this 

 worthy project. 



The waterway movement has never been as strong as at present, and 

 has never had as many friends in Congress as the present time. 



A barge line from St. Louis to New Orleans was started more than a 

 year ago and run until the boats were discontinued in the winter on ac- 

 count of the ice and low stage. It demonstrated however, the fact that 

 there is plenty of business on the river if the river is improved and made 

 deep enough and safe for vessels to operate upon it. There is at present 

 being organized in St. Louis by the Business Men's League and others, a 

 new barge line to take over the old one and continue the service. All 

 arguments advanced by opponents of the improvement of our waterways 

 have been refuted by the demonstration of the St. Louis barge line, which 

 clearly showed that the business is there for an up-to-date modern 

 equipped barge line company. 



Following this report came considerable discussion on the sub- 

 ject involved, led by E. P. Miller of Macland, La, 



The meeting then adjourned. 



FEIDAY MORNING SESSION 



The Friday morning 's session of the meeting convened at eleven 

 o'clock. A letter was read from the Nashville Lumbermen's Club 

 protesting against the proposed changes in the inspection rules. 

 This sentiment was voiced by several other exchanges, including 

 Philadelphia, St. Louis and Louisville. 



The chair then introduced F. E. Parker, president of the Na- 

 tional Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Association, who made a brief 

 address of congratulation to the association and felicitated both 

 this association and his own on the friendly relations existing be- 

 tween the two organizations. 



Emil Guenther of Philadelphia then addressed the meeting on 

 behalf of the Philadelphia Lumbermen's Exchange, opposing any 

 radical changes in the grading rules at this time. 



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