Rock Island Argus., 1902-11-13

the river had long session with
much discussion, and. after advancing
ideas for concerted scheme of river
Improvement, referred the details to
subcommittee of five.
At the afternoon session addresses
were made by Lyman f. Cooley. of
Chicago; Congressman Prince. of IL
linois; Congressman Lloyd, of Missou-
ri, and Congressman Hedge, of Iowa.
The consensus of Legislative opin-
ion was that if the cities and states
along the river couIu unite upon a di-
rect and comprehensive plan for river
improvement free from local Jealous
les or schemes. proper appropria-
tions from congress could be secured.
The chief address of the evening
session was given by Maj. {. Med.
Townsend. of this city. engineer in
charge of the Improvement of the
upper Mississippi. Maj. Townsend
said in part:
Think Money Squandered.
THE impression very generally pre-
walls that money appropriated for
our western rivers is money squan-
dered. This idea has entered into the
minds of congressman and permeates
the committee ON river and harbors.
1t has born fruit in the abandonment
of the project for the Improvement
of the Missouri river ana diminished
appropriations for our own river. 1t
therefore behooves those interested
in the river commerce to be up and
doing"
After alluding to the advantages of
and noting some of the elements of
cost that apply to both methods. the
speaker continues:
The halcyon days of steamboating
were not days of cheap transporta-
tion. When a steamboat could pay
for the cost of construction in a
round trip. it was most decidedly the
consumer that paid the freight, but
he did not seriously object, as he was
still more favorably situated than his
competitor with animal transporta-
tion. But woe to the community that
is at the mercy of combination of
steamboat owners at the present day.
Other combinations. the so-calleds
trusts, seek to make their profits by
reducing the cost of production, but
rivers have most lavishly frittered
away their mutual advantages and
would charge the cost to the com
if they had the opportunity.
The railroads, shrewdly managed, |
have pursued an opposite course:
They have constantly sought to re-
duce the cost of transportation by |
improving their roadbeds. reducing |
grades and eliminating curves. BY in
creasing the size of the cars and the |
weight of the locomotives they have |
reduced by one-half the cost of train |
crew per ton-mile. and have develop
ed their terminal facilities to the |
greatest amount practicable. But the |
magnate, like the steamboat |
owner, is mortal. His object in max
ing these improvements has been to |
benefit his own pocketbook. and he
does not voluntarily reduce freight |
rates to correspond with the improve
ments he makes. He has to be forced |
to make such reductions by outside |
essential element of cheap transpor-
tation as far as the shipper is con-
cerned. The elements. 1 have men
toned affect materially the dividends
of the stockholders of the rail of |
steamboat lines, but active compe-
tition between carriers is the controll-
ing factor in reducing freight rates
TO the shipper.
"Based on any theory of cost of
transportation, any tariff schedule
Of either railroad or boat is a glaring
lbsurdity. but based on theory that
the rate is as great as the business
will pay the schedule becomes logical.