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26 we Ae KR el NE Go bo Va ew From Pittsburg to Tidewater The movement for the organization of a national water- ways association, launched at Cincinnati on Saturday night, May 13, is by far the most important result of the tour of in- spection of the Ohio river made by eleven members of the rivers and harbors committee of the lower house. Every mem- ber of the committee, before half the trip had been made, was convinced of the necessity of improving this. ..great waterway with a 9-ft. chan- nel throughout its entire length, but the niggardly policy of congress, and some , of the past administrations has. effectively tied their hands, and unless there is a movement for greater and annual appropriations for this work, it is "improbable that the work of canaliza- tion will proceed any..faster than in the past. With the committee favorable to this great improvement the ques- tion of securing some prac- ticat means for securing greater appropriations, not only for this work, but for other improvements in every part of_ this' country, was answered by the suggestion of Hon- J. E> 'Ransdell: in and address to the citizens of Cincinnati. Albert Bet- tinger of Cincinnati, one of the most ardent workers on behalf of Ohio river im- provements, seconded -- the remarks of Congressman Ransdell, and stated. that. the Ohio Valley Improve- ment Association will at once take steps for the hold- ing of a national waterways convention, either in New York or Washington, before the end of the year. An association is also to be formed in or- der that the work can be carried on systematically and in- telligently. Congressman Ransdell suggested that the appro- priation for rivers and harbors improvements be made a fixed expense of the national government, that the expenditure be no less than $50,000,000 for each bill, and that the appropria- tion be made every year, instead of spasmodically as is now the case. In an address to the citizens of Parkersburg, Congressman T. E. Burton stated that Ohio river improvements would be carried out in line of their greatest importance and in ac- cordance with the reports of the United States engineers, re- gardless of the demands of certain local communities who had only their own improvement in mind, and advised that the citizens of the entire Ohio valley get together and agree on some systematic policy of improvement. At Cincinnati he announced that where waterway improvements are largely for the benefit of the locality in which they are made, and do not largely benefit the entire country, at least a portion of the cost of the work should be borne by the community desiring the improvement. He cited the Monongahela river improve- HON. 7. E. BURTON, CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON RIVERS AND HARBORS. ments as an example of this kind. At least 65 per cent of the freight originating on this river is delivered to manufacturing plants along its banks and he believes that a portion of the cost of rebuilding locks and dams now proposed be borne by the communities thus benefited. From an educational standpoint the trip was a marked suc- cess. "Not only were the members of the committee apprised of thesneeds of the Ohio valley fot this im- : provement but. they were convinced that the. work be completed as» speedily as possible. Incidentally they had an opportunity of in- forming the citizens of this «valley that the power of making appropriations for these . improvements. not alone was vested in this committee. They told of the tremendous difficulties under which they are con- stantly laboring to secure funds for "improvements which they know should be made for the development of the country's commerce, but as long as the people do not instruct their represen- tatives of the necessity and the importance of greater rivers and harbors appro- priations, and aid in remov- ing the wrong impressions which so generally prevail throughout the country re- garding these appropria- tions, the work of the com- mittee will continue to be handicapped as it is at pres- ent. The plain talk indulged in by Chairman Burton and other members of the com- mittee on this trip has con- vineed the people of the Ohio valley, and should convince the erilire country, that appropriations for rivers and harbors im- provements are no longer the "pork barrel" of congress, and that improvements will be made strictly in accordance with their necessity, and the good that will accrue therefrom for the general commerce of the country, regardless of the po- litical influence that some local community can wield in an ef- fort ta secure appropriations for work on which the com- mittee has not stamped its approval. From Pittsburg to Cairo the "Queen City' party was ten- dered one grand and continuous ovation. The citizens of every hamlet, village and town along the river greeted the passing steamer with salutes, blowing of whistles and ringing of bells, and at many points the members of the town band were hurriedly called to the wharf from their agricultural pursuits to welcome the party. The entertainment was lavish at all points where stops were made. The first stop on the trip was made at East Liverpool, O., where the party was taken from the boat in carriages, escorted by a committee of prominent citizens, for a visit to the largest pottery in the world. Owing to the rain no stop was made at Steubenville,