New-York tribune., 1903-04-04
COMMERCIAL USES OF NIAGARA
Waters Should Be Conserved for This Pur-
pose as Well as for Scenic Beauty.
Editnr Of The Tribune

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The conclusion as to the waters Of Niagara
of your correspondents from personal observation
and opinion. as officers Of excellent but sentimental
associations photographers. manufacturers. etc
and your editorial that the diversions ana uses TO
date have appreCable effect. IS corroooralea oE
the more exact information which we nave Inc
discharge over Niagara. from observations from
1865 TO 1898. shows mean during these years Oh
from about 10000 TO go O00. average mean o.
go 000 cubic feet a second The industrlai uses
there created the last few years have mace HttI7
impress nor are they Immediately likely TO- ouI
the time has come. suggested, "heh tLs Iii0l10i
should be fully considered
am not one who believes the knowledge or IN
formation which can tmpart Is enhanced Oy
official position, but some think otherwise
would say that the matter Of the regulation OF hse
waters which form the International pounddIy'
was discussed and proclaimed at the Cleveland
International Deep Waterway Convention IN 1879
and that I a member-at-larse OF the commit
tee on resolutions which made its platform anu
was made vice-president for New-York state OF
the association.
In January 1896 at the time the Rochester Cham
Der of Commerce passed the international arolIIa-
tion resolution. presented by me and sent 70 the
border cities and which produced world results,
endeavored also to get the chamber 10 pass resoIu
+io as 10 the regulation of lake levels, the other
object besides deep waterways we have IN view oI1
it was unappreCiative Of its Importance ana the
resolution was shelved in committee Through our
efforts the United States Commission on Deep
WATERWAYS and Canadian Joint Commission was
created and its report. transmitted to Congress IN
1897 by President Cleveland, IN addition 10 us val
uabIe data recommended further action on the suo-
ject of regulation T4e Board Of Survey appointed
nv President Mckinney. took this matter up most
thoroughly and it is dealt with in their reports Inc
conclusions Of that board were that the reguIa-
tion works feasible. and those there sIlO"i-
by description and dasraIn VII f cPsl - Si ISs Frie
would keep me norma % The formal high level:
-Trr~
f- fo71 p E{iT AZ each loot OF navigable depth
~ ~ a. hsrbSrs and waterways Of the upper lakes
has cost the government S5o10.o0o by previous
common sense TO continue digging when 1t IS SO
much easier 70 pug pug me he = @ oo the COST Of the
deep waterway from Erie into Ontario, Whlcn We
ogse nogs u The uses Of these waters more than
q-L5S 1t fee+ a15 should not be opposed the
lg2 rogrS Su5e of dyer=on as it is minor n this regard
s0ondents I think, are in error in considering the
started take 5og9 Cu6lc feet ana ana h0I OF T Ie
tSab o1e-tTTentieth for both these waterways OF
19T r oTor1 re6i7tIo1 Of Mr. Green introduced by
Senator PIatt. appointing an international M sonl n
mission to de'@iop aIsseS {4g to the beneft Of the
NiaEara'z can Le baf7+ e Of the States and Canada
t2assaG @ and provides for the Intelligent considera-
hon and determination Of all questions reSaT4lns
these international waters 1t should oe lQpAeL @ aI
from The broadest point OF view and TLtn - com
plete foresight realizing that no more lInporl@a @
Subject perhaps exists. and that the uses anu
7-z~sf0r 'srOIiI be considered under three means
the public which are the commercial al f,b or JTas ts
c+a+a and Dominion have already taken joint ac-
ttor and the private. which are the tndustrla .
- III ms the commercial is by far the most
T1D5rrart and vaIUa BILE; adequate depth and adeo
80 waterways for this purpose can De mace
ZviT-r71t anv appreciabIe diminuton IN the Supply
or fov- of these waters at any point; the industrial
uses though private are Of great importaR7ce nee n
T-5D70-ir- manufactures. and the uses aLFtdGy
1rDaFa C4 these waters IOr power have not senSloE
Ii71r-T+sG them nor diminished their scenic
erect The time has come when these toeeln,er
Win all other uses shall be considered from [he
rofrr ~ view OF conserving these waters II'5l
fhe maximum may he at all times secured ara ara II
"a faaeibIa so to conserve them that there VIII pe
enough for all public uses. and, these Beng Pro
f5ed +ha~l will still be enough for all re3Sontole
private use and such private uses must Pe upon
equitable conditions and 70 some ex[en{ SI6l4gI 10
control. JOIN \ : O.LL1i E-ie " '-~I-i-A- =