Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-06
LOG-ROLLING IDEA.

The devious tendencies of the human
mind are again illustrated by the latest
revival of suggestions as to what shall be
done about building naval vessels on the
lakes. Eastern papers have had a new
intermittent fit of supporting an alleged
desire of Secretary Tracy's to carry on the
business of naval construction at what
they allege to be ''the first-rate shipbuild-
ing ports of Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland,
Detroit, Bay City and West Superior" 1t
is not proposed to build these vessels for
use on the lakes, and it is claimed that
merely constructing them there would not
be violation of the treaty of 1873 The
purpose of the proposition seems to be to
build vessels there in order that the Gov
ernment may make demonstration of its
inferiority in the matter of ship canals by
requesting permission of Canada to take
the craft through Canadian waterways to
the ocean.
There has been one allegation that YES
sells could be built more cheaply at the
lake shipyards than on the seacoast; but
the obstrcperous Bates, who made that
assertion, has been so sharply suppressed
as to rob his statement of authority. Lake
cities show gratifying progress in the con-
strUctiOn of lake craft, but there is yet no
evidence that they are supplied with facil-
tiles to build heavily armored iron-clads
or fast cruisers. The fact that they could
send no vessels to the ocean of greater
draft than IL feet would limit their work
to the smaller naval vessels. If any bids
should prove that ships of that necessary
class can be built cheaper ON the lakes
than on the seaboard we have no doubt
that the treaty of 1918 could be appeased
by leaving them in the ownership of the
builders until they were taken TO the ocean
ports to be delivered to the Government,
armed and put into commission.
But it is remarkable that none of these
considerations of economy, availability or
standard of work receive much attention
in the current propositions to establish
naval building on the lakes. The idea
simply is that the expenditures on navy
must be divided up on the log-rolling
principles of the river and harbor bill.
The same principle governed the con-
struction of vessels on the Pacific coast
under the pretext that it was cheaper to
build ships there than to take them there.
But as all materials had to be transported
by rail to that coast, it would have been
cheaper to have sailed them there as ships
The pretext is reversed in the lake propo-
sition. But the underlying principle is
identical-of meeting the suggestion that
the lakes should be considered in our
naval policy by proposing to give them
some of the pork. In that light the fact
that Chicago, Milwaukee, Thunder Bay,
Grand Traverse, Marquette, Toledo, San
duSky, Fairport and Ashtabuia are left out
in the cold will produce strenuous dis
cord.
All such ideas indicate persistent
blindness to the main factors in the case.
The one respect in which this Govern
ment is at a disadvantage is that our more
far-sighted neighbors have connected the
lakes with the ocean by ship canals. The
way to rectify that Is to build the ship
canals ourselves. When that is done the
vessels can be built where the work will
be done best and most cheaply, whether
it is at West Superior, Pittsburg or
Chester.