National Rivers and Harbors Congress

by Joseph Eugene Ransdell

NATIONAL RIVERS AND HARBORS CONGRESS

By Joseph Eugene Ransdell, LL. D.

SENATOR-ELECT RANSDELL, who enters the upper branch of Congress March 4, 1913, having lived on the Father of Waters from early manhood, has taken the liveliest possible interest in the development of every worthy waterway project. Mr. Ransdell has been a fearful figure in public life since his election to the House in 1899, and is a member of the Committee on Rivers and Harbors. Mr. Ransdell tells of the origin and growth of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress, but he fails to tell how much of the power and influence of that association is due to the energy,devotion and genius for organization of the man who has been its president since 1906.

ON March 3 and 4, 1901, the late Senator Thomas H. Carter. of Montana, talked to death a Rivers and Harbors Bill which carried appropriations for waterways aggregating fifty-six millions. His professed excuse was that the House conferees refused to agree to a Senate amendment appropriating sundry sums for irrigating lands in arid sections of Montana where, as Chairman Burton expressed it, "there were no streams deep enough to float a birch-bark canoe." Rumor gave other reasons for the defeat of this bill. but at any rate it was killed and a grievous blow struck at river and harbor legislation. Then the friends of the cause throughout the land began to rally and unite their forces.

One of the most important projects in the defunct bill was for a channel of 35 feet through the South West Pass of the Mississippi River. and its special advocates before the committees of Congress were M. J. Sanders and John W. Bryant of New Orleans. These two gentlemen felt their defeat very keenly. and immediately laid plain for arousing public indignation against Senator Cartel-'s action and sentiment in favor of a liberal bill next session.

The result of their eflorts was a great waterways convention which opened in Baltimore. Md. on October 8. 190:. Mr. Geo. E. Bartel of Philadel is was made permanent president. any delegates attended from various sections. The or- ganization was christened The National River: and Harbor: Cangterr. The utmost harmony prevailed. Resolutions denoun- cing the past policy of Congress towards waterways and insisting upon more liberal

treatment thereafter were passed unanimously. The press gave great prominence to the proceedings, and the whole Union was aroused as never before in fifty years in regard to waterways. An executive committee was appointed to carry on the work outlined in the convention and to perpetuate the organization, but it existed only in name. never held a meeting. and performed no functions for four years. The good effects of the Baltimore convention were felt in the next session of Congress which. in the spring of root. passed a river and harbor bill carrying $6s.1o7.xo1~l.he largest ever enacted to that date—and waterway people were in high feather. Then came the depressing years mo; and 1904 without any general legislation for waterways. and in 1905 a bill was passed appmpriating only $35.- 6o,531—but little more than half that of iooz, although the nation was growing rapidly and demands for waterway improvements were increasing in proportion. The act of loo; was a bitter disappointment. and the amounts it carried were totally inadequate to the country's needs. in June. 1905. the Ohio Valley Improve, ment Association. under the lead of its great president. Col. john L, Vance. took the Rivers and Harbors Committee of the House of Representatives on a tour of the Ohio from Pittsburgh to Cairo to impress on them the importance of giving that river slack water navigation of nine feet from one end to the other. by means

of locks and dams. at a cost of sixty-three millions, That was a glorious trip, a grand triumphal march of a thousand miles down the great stream, through

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the most populous and wealthy valley of equal length in all the world. No warrior of ancient days returning from foreign conquest was ever accorded more hearty welcome. more distinguished honors and more lavish hospitality than Chairman Burton and the members of his committee on that historic voyage of the "Queen City" from Pittsburgh to Cairo. On all sides nothing was heard but "nine feet from Pittsburgh to Cairo." Thousands of school children in every city and village on the river greeted the committee with banners. music, and national airs.

The very birds sang "nine feet from Pittsburgh to Cairo'... the winds whistled it'. the bands played it: the orators declaimed it: indeed. all nature in the great Ohio Valley. with its millions of souls and myriads of wealth, demanded nine feet of water at all stages from Pittsburgh to Cairo.

At Cincinnati a banquet was spread and many addresses graced the occasion. The writer. who was one of the speakers. suggested the wisdom of all friends of waterways uniting in a great national organization for promoting their cause, and urged the immediate formation of such a body. The idea took enthusiastically and was acted upon at once by the officers of the Ohio Valley Improvement Association. The visiting members of Congress held a meeting on the steamer next day. and gave their hearty approval. A conference of delegates from several waterway associations met shortly thereafter in Cincinnati. and it was decided to ask the executive committee appointed by the Baltimore convention to issue a call for a national waterways convention to be held in Washington the following January. That was done and a meeting of two hundred and fifty delegates. fairly representative of the nation, convened in the Arlington Hotel on January 15,1906. It made up in enthusiasm what it lacked in numbers. A vigorous program was set on foot to arouse public opinion in favor of a liberal, comprehensive policy for improving every worthy watercourse in the Republic justified by the needs of commerce. No waterway projects were advocated, but a genuine, business-like, waterway policy. The total inadequacy of appropriations for rivers and harbors. which then averaged less than twenty millions a

year. was strongly emphasized. and Congress was urged to raise this sum to at least fifty millions a year. It was pointed out that river and harbor bills were enacted every third year. whereas the other great appropriation bills were paged every '§ar. and a loud cry was made for annua river and harbor bilis.

The slogan of the organization became: "A policy. not a prq/ecl~An annual Rivers and Harbors bill carrying fifty million: a year." And that slogan has been the pole star which ever guided and directed its efforts, and has kept it from breaking on the dangerous shoals of conflicting local interests.

Hon. Harvey T. Goulder of Cleveland. Ohio. was elected President of this convention and it was decided to retain the name adopted at Baltimore five years before. A strong executive committee was created. with plenary power to carry out the plans of the organization. and its eliorts were untiring. The writer was made chairman of this committee and J. F. Ellison. of Cincinnati, is secretary-treasurer and active manager. Never was a wiser selection made than the latter. When Captain Ellison took the helm in January. iooo. the organization existed only in name: it had no exchequer; it had no contributing members; it had nothing but a good cause and some ringing resolutions. He went to work with great energy. assisted somewhat by the chairman. and soon found a helper worthy of himself in John A. Fox, who has proved a veritable St. Paul of waterways, preaching their gospel in every corner of the Union.

The next convention was held at the Arlington in December, 1906, and was a decided improvement on the last in numbers. enthusiasm and general force. It reiterated the policy of the previous meeting. and arranged to finance the association and carry on an aggressive campaign of education. The writer was made president and ex-officio chairman of the executive committee. which position he still holds. Ellison retained his position. and Fox became field director. which places they filled with increasing honor to themselves and the greatest benefit to the organization until they resigned recently to accept flattering business offers elsewhere.

No truer and more efficient friends of American waterways ever lived than Frank Ellison and John Fox. The writer was associated intimately with them from the early days. when our souls were often sorely tried. and it is a great pleasure to pay this merited tribute to their worth.

Since December, 1906, conventions have been held every year in this city at the Willard Hotel during the first week of December. The organization has grown in numbers and influence until it reaches every State, and is a recognized power in the land. lts membership includes nearly every waterway association. a great many boards of trade and commercial bodies. and a large number of individuals. One of its most honored associates is the \Noman‘s National Rivers and Harbors Congress. which organized in june. iqo8. with Mrs. Hoyle Tomkies. of Louisiana. as first president and leading spirit. lts presmit head is Mrs. Clara Barton Miller of South Carolina. The aims and purposes of this association are substantially the same as that of the mums Congress and they work together in the utmost harmony.

The last convention held sessions for three days—December 6, 7, 8 1911—and it was a great success in every way. though somewhat marred by the resignations of Ellison and Fox. We were fortunate to secure for Captain Ellison's successor as secretary-treasurer Mr. S. A. Thompson. of Indiana. who for several years was connected with the Congress as assistant field director. Mr. Thompson was known twenty-five years ago as “Deep Water Thompson" because of his splendid efforts for improvement of the Lakes. He is a forceful writer and an orator of great power.

These conventions have been addressed by the leading men of the United States and other lands. and their proceedings constitute a set of valuable works on waterways and transportation generally. The ambassadors of France. Germany. Mexico. Brazil. and Great Britain. have told us what their countries were doing to utilize the water—nature': best and cheapest agent of transportation; presidents of great railroads have discussed the relative merits of water and rail: eminent engineers have talked about mighty water- way engineering feats at home and abroad -- especially the famous canal system of our Canadian cousins and our own mighty canal across the Isthmus: presidents of many local water-associations. our hon- ored associates and colaborers. have explained the merits of their respective projects: and many of the nation's brightest minds have enlightened us on subjects more or less related to the use of water as an agent of transportation. A publicity bureau has been maintained in this city for three years under the able manage- ment of a veteran newspaper man. Mr. Edgar C. Snyder. and the best thought of our nation‘s statesmen. publicists and prominent men relating to waterways and kindred topics is disseminated daily and weekly through the press.

The National Rivers and Harbors Congress. as its name indicates. is truly national in purpose and effort. It has never advocated special projects no mat- ter how colossal or meritorious they were. but always endeavored to bring about a generous. lar-reaching policy that might promptly provide suificient funds for the improvement of all worthy waterways. many of which are shown on the accom- panying map. lts aim is to create general waterway sentiment; to make the country understand and appreciate the cheapness of water transportation as compared with rail. and the vast savings in freight charges resulting from well-improved and utilized waterways: and to assist in the passage of proper laws to regulate traffic by rail and water.

Since its reorganization in January. iooo. vast improvement has occurred in waterway sentiment and legislation. At that time and for several years prior thereto. river and harbor bills were enacted every three years: now they are annual. the same as other great appropriation bills. At that time the average annual appropriations for rivers and harbors were about twenty millions a year. For the past three years they have averaged over thirty millions a year. and waterway ap- propriations in the bill of the current year exceed forty millions. Thus we see a change in st‘: yearrfrom triennial to annual bills. and from less than twenty millions to over forty millions tr year.

Moreover. there is a decidedly better sentiment towards waterways than here- tofore. It is conceded that they have rights which must be recognized and pro-

tected. and a system of laws is growing up

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to define and enforce them. Many communities are becoming aroused to the

necessity of providing suitable water terminals. which in the vast majority of cases at the present time arcfowned and controlled by railways or private corporations. They should be public property for public use.

A notable result of the increased liberality in waterway appropriations is that a number of meritorious projects have been undertaken in a systematic manner. and are being pushed rapidly. Definite periods ranging from fi\e to twelve years have been Fixed for completing several of the more important projects. the length of time being determined largely by the rapidity with which the work can be advantageously carried on. Under this new and wise dispensation, projects will be finished in the near future which had been delayed so long under the old-time methods that everyone had lost confidence in them.

The organization has taken deep interest in legislation relating to the Panama Canal. regarding it as the greatest artificial water im rovement ever undertaken by man and o supreme importance to the welfare of all Americans who go down to the sea in ships. It wishes to see this graat canal so safeguarded by wise laws that rival agents of transportation may not be enabled to reap the benefits which the citizens of the Union are entitled to receive from the free water competition of this connecting link between the oceans.

Let it be distinctly understood, however. that the Congress is not opposed to railways. its earnest desire is that rail and water shall cooperate in every proper way so as to give the cheapest and best transportation. It believes that railways and waterways are the natural complements one of the other. and while it wishes to do its utmost to secure all laws for improving every worthy watercourse in the Republic. for preventing improper interference by rail with movements of freight by water. and to create as perfect a sy stem of terminals on watercourses as can possibly be devised. it expects to do this in the future. as in the past. without animosity towards railways. which it recognizes as the most beneficial agents of transportation the world has ever known. It wishes to be friendly with the railways. and why not"! There is glory and business enough for both rail and water. There are many localities which cannot be served by water and belong entirely to the railroads. Moreover, it is well known that wherever there exist the best waters and the greatest number of boats. are also found the most prosperous railroads. It is earnestly hoped. therefore. that these two great agencies will work together in harmony for the good of the Union.

The Congress feels just pride in the partial succcss of its efforts for the past six years. and looks with confidence to the future in the belief that the next six will see the fruition of its aims. Much has been done. but the greatest is yet to come. Rivers and harbors now receive appropriations annually. and the items approximate forty millions a year; but the definite. comprehensive. business-like plan for improving every worthy watercourse is still unsettled; the problem of terminals is a giant one whose solution is scarcely yet begun: the actual navigation of rivers and internal waters—now sadly neglected— must be restored: and a system of laws must be evolved to insure full justice to every agent of transportation. Let the organization continue its fight until all these and many other good things have been accomplished.