CONSERVATION 



palroni/e tin- American manufacturer, ning and completing the work of de- 

 and I \\ould employ the American la- veloping our inland waterways prompt- 

 borer, and give- them a chance before ly, and decried the shortsightedness of 

 I turned t./any one else. dragging the work out when it can 

 "We should" make for the arts of be better and more effectively done in 

 peace," he said, "rather than for the a shorter period of time. 

 arts of war, and devote more time to Ex-governor Saunders, of Louisiana, 

 the schoolhouse than to the arsenal spoke of the Mississippi River as it 

 and the navy yard." affects his own State, more particu- 

 The next speaker, representing the larly, and told of the enormous sums 

 at I 'acific Northwest, was Gov. that are spent yearly in holding the 

 George I''.. ( 'hamberlain, of Oregon. river within its banks, and in provid- 



The .speaker said that improvement ing for the needs of navigation. 



i" the waterways, was no longer a po- Representative Champ Clark, the 



litical, but had become an economic next speaker, aroused great enthusi- 



<iuestion, and he then read from both asm by his statement that Congress 



the Democratic and Republican plat- stands ready and willing to support 



l""rnis planks pledging these parties to with adequate appropriations any com- 



ri\er and harbor improvement. prehensive and feasible plan for water- 



I le reminded the audience that the way improvement. 



I're-ident and the next President also "To say that Congress is opposed, 

 had expressed themselves strongly in or ever was opposed, to rivers and 

 Favor of a plan of improvement, and harbors improvement, he said, "would 

 said that if out in his country a Con- be to dub us all a lot of idiots. There 

 pressman voted against a good plan has been talk enough about this go- 

 waterways improvement, he need ing on for a long time, and now the 

 ii"t come back expecting to be re- time for action has come. I began 



making river and harbor speeches and 



Governor Chamberlain said that the listening to them seventeen years ago 



Northwest had no pet scheme to pro- at Denver, and 'I have been keeping 



pose, but was for a general plan, be- it up ever since." 



lieviug that the improvement of any Mr. Clark described the great re- 



of the great waterways would be for sources of his own district, and said 



the benefit of the entire country. Nor no section of the United States needed 



i-onld the Northwest, he said, oppose water transportation more, and then 



any plan for the improvement of a river he made the formal statement again: 



because that plan might happen to "If you gentlemen will devise and 



greatly benefit some local interest some- present to the National Congress a 



feasible and comprehensive scheme, 



Mayor Seth Low, of New and one that will take in the entire 



spoke of the importance of system of rivers and harbors of the 



earn hauling of freight by water, say- country, I firmly believe that Congress 



thai the Lrie Canal fixed the rate will enact it into law." 



ery pound of freight going from An address by W. D Lyman, presi- 



( 'ity west of the Alleghenies. dent of Whitman College. Walla 



emphasized the necessity of plan- Walla. Wash., concluded the session. 



