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
