The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-11
THE GLOWING SYSTEM"

MI. wonderfully Economical System
'- =, water Transportation on West
- rivers Threatened by the Frye
gfl in the Senate.
~. pittsburgh Coal Exchange and
commercial bodies Of the Ohio
'I are greatly wrought up over the
,, bin in the United States senate.
r. confers upon the secretary Of
W., H,,' .reasury the power to limit the size
'4 :. ,aus on all inland waters Of the
" T.u,,s5 States. Referring to the bin,
-. -, John F. bravo, Of Pittsburgh,
-, 10y Liter TO the Intelllgencer, says:
!" a ., are interested In the prosperity
=, .hs ohio and Mississippi valleys and
81 80 some knowledge OF the towing
H.'-,.n OF transportation which pre-
~ on the Ohio and Mississippi riv-
W.. md their tributaries. and which Is
s.'.,.sIItIouizlng carrying rates and
toI4l1r in check eXorDltant rates
ssarr.l by railroad corporations. This
at system. the cheapest IN the
ssari4 is limited by hl-constructed
b,fJEss with narrow passage ways A
Sy....1's,nlnad effort Is being made to have
rs narrow bridge channel ways re-
'.L.....,-,,rtad providing larger and safer
tgI,sr WAYS. II is also proposed to
s-rl Congress pass new bridge law.
nl,5FInr better channel ways In all
S.Sir.s which may hereafter be con-
'...,,-,sd across these rivers. This Frye
w s1I limiting the size Of lows. must be
S W. M II win, IL enforced, ruin the
,iysr transportation interest"
mn M. New York Marine Journal. which
,.staker up the fight for the river in
w., ,srsst has the following on the sub
!esC 49,, ,,,,, no5a no
,s'sa most particularly interested in
sss,aru river navigation, to induce
congress 10 adopt measures that will
r,rTIat. the construction and mainte-
r5rra Of railroad bridges so as not to
i.,,,fsrp with navigation TO the extent
Nc now do. and which they are ag-
c,sssiysly expanding. Is q matter not
61Iy pertaining to the interests Of river
b5s,ran. but is one of most serious ma
,IoraI Importance, as short considera-
don AZ the subject will ahuudantly
show. ,-, -, -.
,rt., and northwest and kindred in
Srstriss Of the great plantations OF
H. south. having supplied home de-
r,g,5s seek foreign markets on water
i,ras. out these paramount interests
are confronted by an inadequate and
i,saS,tra outlet at the outer gateway to
Ian highways. These mighty indus
trIss ara demanding larger outlet facil-
ires 10 reach foreign markets. This
Sarsnd ought not. cannot. be ignored.
The nation must have expanding room,
not especially in territory, but specific
a'Iy and emphatically expanding indus
rial scope. The growing and varied
commerce Of the Ohio and Mississippi
valleys. possessing the elements and
natural conditions Of an empire. are in
need OF enlarged transportation facili-
ties needs that ought 10 receive broad
and generous recognition.
In response to the demands for cheap
trarsp4rtatian. the inventive genius Of
the American mind, ever on the alert.
always equal to any emergency. has
developed system OF transportation
that challenges the world to- surposs II
in cheapness and capacity. This Is
known as the towing system, by
which a single steamer will transport
on a single trip from Louisville to New
orleans more than forty thousand
li00OO tons Of merchandise at
freight rate that would bankrupt the
best equipped railroad in the world.
Such a towing steamer, hitehed onto
feet Of fifty or more loaded craft re-
Guires large water conditions, that Is.
great depth and width of channel. 70
handle such enormous burdens covering
De RNga Nd
the lowest possible cost % Transports
ton makes the towing system Of trans
portation q positive necessity and i'm
pcriously demands a condition OF wa
ters that will provide for its fullest and
largest development.
II has been demonstrated that rail-
ways which parallel water line5 are
among the most prosperous carrying
corporations. and, hence, rail and water
lines ought 10 work in harmony for
the interest Of those whom they seek to
serve. They are cS-factors in securing
th- best results and are mutual con-
tribut0rs to each others prosperity.
Railway corporations have no moral
right and can have no just legal right
to abriige the facilities of river com
merca, nor have those interested In
water lines any right or reason to oh
struct In any form OF manner rail-
rights No railway corporation would
submit to any interference that would
result In a suspension OF traffic at any
given point or any forced limitation OF
the size Of their trains IN transit, nor
should river commerce be subjected to
any such restrictions as to limi. the
largest possible use Of the waters OF
The nation. Neither water nor rail
alone Is adequate 10 meet the require
menS u the commercial industries Of
TINS great nation; both systems are es-
saniial 70 meet the demands Of trade
and no hindrance ought to BE- put in
The way Of either. Rail equipments are
IN the use OF stockholders and are or
ought 10 be free to work out the best
possible results so long as they do not
restrict the possibilities of the high
ways OF the people. but inasmuch as
nature has left much for man TO do
mat the fun advantage OF waterways
may be utilized it follows that the
government Of the people and for the
people ought 10 extend to these orlgi-
ma! ana natural ways OF transit all
needed protection and all needed help
IN rendering efficient service for the
good OF all the people.
- ''' PHEASANT OF deslthple taSh III
posed urln the friends OF waterways to
haTaas Congress and congressional
committees with petitions and hearings
ior the protection OF their trade from
INJURY, but what else Is to be done? To
silently allow tho great national high
Ways ~ Interstate commerce TO be Grip
pea by individuals or private corpora
u9hs would be cowardiy. a betrayal OF
bEsat interests intrusted TO their use
~ care FOR the common good. These