The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-24
WATER Ways
HELP RAILROADS
Paradox in the Matter of Traf-
flc Business.
EXAMPLES ARE GIVEN
Showing That Water Compe-
titiOn Is Really Productive
of Trade.

'whne the controlling effect Of compel
Ing waterways on railway rates has been
generally recognized, another effect, OF
equal or greater Importance, has been al
most completely overlooked writes S. a
Thompson. in the Engineering Magazine.
For, paradoxical as it seems, waterways
are not only the most powerful possible
regulators Of railway rates, but are also
the most powerful possible promoters of
the prosperity Of railways with which
they compete. If the managers
Of the transcontinental American rail-
ways were really awake to their own in
terests, instead Of opposing an Isthmian
canal they would use all their influence
In it's favor.
This opinion is based upon the fact
that many instances can be shown in
which the construction or Improvement
OF a waterway has resulted in great ben
eft to competing railways, while not a
single instance has come to my knowl-
edge, in the course of a study of the sub
ject covering many years in which the
result has been otherwise than beneficial.
During the fifteen years in which i'm
provements were being made on the river
Elbe in Bohemia. the river traffic, as a
natural result of the deepening of its
channels. increased five fold. But the
traffic on the competing railways increas-
ed stiH more largely, and the dividends
on the main line, from Teplitz to Aussig
rose TO l6 per cent. per annum.
"A report of a committee Of the senate
Of France shows that out of 1856 water
ways enumerated in the statistics of in
traffic of more than 10000 mile-tons, and
every one Of these was in close proximi-
ty to railroads, while the Northern Rail-
way company. whose system traverses
& region containing 80 per cent. Of the
boating capacity of France, was the only
one that was not Obliged TO call upon the
government to pay the interest guaran-
teed upon its stock.
The canalization of the river Main,
from Mayence TO Frankfort. was cam
pleted in the latter part of the year 1886.
AS a result Of this Improvement, which
gave a channel vastly better and deeper
than was before available the river traf-
fc showed an Increase of ga per cent. in
1887, and a further gain Of q per cent.
In 1905
Frankfort is abundantly supplied with
railroads, having among others an indie
pendent line on each bank of the Main all
the way to Mayence. Did these roads so
into bankruptcy or suffer a serious fall
ing off in their traffic? On the contrary,
their bushes Increased IS per cent. in
1851 ana an additional IS per cent. in
1888 Two years constitute rather short
time from which to Judge of the perma-
nent effect Of this improvement. but for
tunateiy Consul General Mason, from
whose report the above figures we're
taken, submitted anosler report under
date of December 10, 1897, from which it
appears that the river traffic, which
amounted TO $4,000 tons annually before
the improvements were made. had in
creased to 100000 tons i'm 1891 and to Il. 693
1l2 tons in 1896. while the traffic by rail.
which amounted TO $4,000 tons in 1886,
had risen to J. 100000 tons in 1891, and to
1.e39. 22s tons in 1896. being nearly double
what it was ten years before, when the
railways had a practical monopoly of the
freight business in Frankfort.
.-1he greatest railway mileage in the
worm under one management is to be
found in Germany. unless some Of the re-
cent community of-interest' arrange
ments in the United States are to be
interpreted as constituting common own
ership ON July l. 1855. out of total Of
l6.2a miles Of road, 1865 belonged TO the
German government Yet the reichstag,
in 1897 passed an act providing for the
completion of nearly 800 miles Of canals
and canalzod rivers, although there were
then finished and in use 12S9 miles of
canals and 1925 Of canalized rivers. other
improvements have been authorized and
completed since the date. named, until
today Germany has more than 5000 miles
of canals and navigable rivers. and there
are nearly $1,000 miles of state owned
railways in Prussia alone. Does any one
think for an instant that Germany
would expend millions Of marks out 81
The national trea sury for the construction
and Improvement of waterways If the re-
sult would be TO lessen the national rev
enues by reducing the traffic on the ma
tional railways? or is il possible that the
German government does not know what
Il is aboute Let us see. To quote from
Consul General Mason:
If further testimony on this general
topic were needed. it would be found in
the steady growing prosperity OF the rail-
ways oil Prussia. which from their loca-
ton are brought into the most direct
competition with the principal water
WAYS During the fiscal year lS25-s7 the
Prussian railroads earned S247.SS1s7e, and
the budget estimate. always conservative.
FOR the present year lSs--9Sl is So 900
o. from the same source. This is con
siderable more than half the entire in
come CT the Prussiau government. and
after deduCting au expenses Of operation.
repairs, construction. new equipment. in
terest on bonds. etc. leaves net reve-
nue. of ,o2.le2. 60 70 be turned into the
treasury OF the state.
THAT a portion of this surplus should
be devoted each year TO extending the
canal and navigable river system is in
furthersnce Of a policy the wisdom Of
swnich time and experience have fully
confirmed.
The Manchester canal has hardly be-
gun 10 pay lis fixed charges yet, but it
has caused such tremendous develop
rnent OF She trade aud commerce Of that
city that new buildings have been erect
ed by thousands upon thousands and
every railroad has been compelled 20 en-
large greatly its terminal facilities
For a number Of years the United
States government has been improving
she navigation Of the Great Kanawha