Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-16
RIVERS AND HARBORS
COMMITTEES REPORT TO Ma
TIONAL BOARD OF TRADE.
Suggestion Made of Scheme in Matter
of EHminative and Isolat-'
ed Improvements.

Following Is the full text of the report of
the National Board of Trade committees
report on Improvement of rivers and har-
bors read before the board Wednesda af-
ternoon:
For the proper adjustment between pro-
duction and consumption, cheap distribu-
ton is a necessity and there is no medium
of transportation which fulfills this require
ment so we'll or offer so little resistance
as water. 1t is also a demonstrated fact
that the largest vessels can be operated at
least cost, hence the rapid increase in di-
mansions which have exceeded the availa-
BILE draught of natural channels, requiring
ever-increasing expenditures for their crea-
zion and maintenance, and yet the eco
romic possibility OF the vessel Is not reached
because of Inadequate channels. An anal
ysis of the legislative resolutions passed
By the constituent members OF this organl-
eaton indicates that there is q general de-
sire for more liberal appropriations for
the work of channel enlargements, and yet
it is stated in the last report of the river
and harbor committee of the House to Con-
gress that the tola; amount which would
be required for tie completion of projects
for river and harbcr works, the cost Of
which has been estimated by the War De-
partment, now considerably exceeds $780,
100000. 1t will thus appear that it has
been necessary either to omit entirely or
only partially provide for a large number
of improvements, many of which are no
doubt deserving of early attention.
In other words, the total estimated cost
of works recommended as meritorious is
ABOUT equal to the total amount expended
on all the rivers and harbors of the coun-
try prior to the act of June Is last and as
the average annual appropria tons are not
10 per cent of the amount required to meet
present demands, and az other important
expenditures of the government place
practical limit upon the amount which can
N n .riNh
would appear to te hopeless to request in
creased appropriations, as a measure of re-
lief.
The inability of Congress thus to provide
remedy led the committees to recommend
the creation OF a permanent advisory board
of five United ates engineers to secure
greater uniformity in the recommendations
and reports, relating to various projects in
ing projects, the further prosecution of
which Is considered questionable"
This is in accord with the previous action
of this body recommending systematic work
on continuous interior trunk lines and the
concentration of work upon our most i'm
portland seaports. AS a further measure of
relief the act also provided that
Amy person or persons, corpora tions mu-
ntcipal or private, who desire to improve
any naVlgable river, or any part thereof at
their or its own expense and risk, may do
so upon the approval Of the plans and speci--
hcations of said proposed Improvement by
the Secretary of Was and chief of engineers
OF the army. The bill also gives the Sec
rotary of War discretion to change the
plans in a number of Instances where they
were not finally adopted, but only tentative
~ prepared as a basis for an appropriation
All of this legislation appears to lead in
the direction of elimnative, isolated i'm
provements for the time being; in authoriz-
ing ioca!ltles to meet their own emergencies,
II able to do so, and in sanctioning changes
or plans when found to be most economi-
Cal ana advantageous for the government"
Suggestion Of Economy,
Your committee believes. however that
still greater economy and earlier results
may be secured for the moneys appropri-
ated by so modifying the system of letting
contracts as to permit open competition
from responsible parties for results secured
and maintained for reasonable periods
These notifications in administration
should result In immediate and practical re-
AeI; as soon as authorized by adequate gen
eraI legislation. There is probably no an
preparation made by Congress which COOS
so iar toward developing our resources &C
that OF the river and harbor bill This nav
De orleIy Illustrated by a reference to the
price or agricultural products on the farm
IN the different states of the Union FROM,
winch 1t is seen that the price falls in nro-
board. Ai 'iie sea-
For example. Kansas City. the out,et Of
Kansas, is 129 miles nearer ST. louis on5
the water route to New Orleans than is
Oinaha, the commercial port of Nebra Ska
me charEe Tor this distance. at the aver
age ton-tnlie rate by rail, is Just about canal
10 the difference in the price of wheat in
the TWO states during the past decade ca
that the cost of the overland haul * an
pa p1retty deducted from the local value of
an Wheat, whether exported or not because
OF the absence of water facilities. In 1901
the difference in prices on three stanIes
was; FOR wheat, cents; corn. cents
ana oats q cents per bushel. which resulted
IN loss 10 that state on the price of these
staples of Sl4 26I 600 because of tbe min
proved condition of the great river which
HoWs past her doors She would be justified
IL aFlIdinS very large sum annually to
RAISE the home price of her products and
tne value of her farms
but tAls Is not an isolated instance for It
VIII be found from the statistics of the
T ,ei cultural Department that while the
average farm price of wheat in Nebraska
Tor ten years Is 500 cents in Iowa hor
derlnS the Mississippi river II Is ~ g. In
Illinois, GAL; in Ohio. 69.2; in Pennsylvania
q, and in New York, rs similar in
crease Of value is found to obtain in nro
ceeding outward. not only for wheat hut
other products, thus demonstrating the add
vantage Of proximity to the seaboard.
Committees Recommendations.
In view of the foregoing statement of
Facts and conditions your committee re-
spectful!y recommends the adoption of the
following general resolution:
That in the Judgment of the National
Board Of Trade the greatest progress In the
development OF the resources of this coun-
try and the distribution of her surplus
products would be. best attained by the
rapid enlargement of the inland waterways
covering the great central basin; by the
further enlargement in depth of the chan
neis OF the Ohio river; by the extension of
the facilities of the Chicago drainage canal
10 the mississippi; by the construction and
enlargement to their utmost capacity Of
the canals and channels. from the Great
Lakes to the sea at New York; by the en-
largement and emancipation from tolls of
the Atlantic interior coastwise system and
by the deepening OF the more important
harbors of the seaboard on both oceans and
the Gulf of Mexico.
To this end 1t should be made the policy
of the country TO open those works to COM
petition by responsible parties for payments
. based upon results secured and maintained
/ Tor reasonable time. without tolls or other
charges.
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