Evening journal., 1906-09-24
BUILD THE SHIP
CANAL AT ONCE
North Amer Can Gives Seven
Good and Sufficient Rea-
sons For 1t
FOR PEACE AND FOR WAR


Chesapeake Bay with the Atlantic
Ocean and the Delaware Bay ought to
/ be built The North American says:
AL the last session of Congress the
president was given authority to ap-
point commission Of three persons
who should be charged with the duty
Of inquiring into the expediency of the
conversion Of the Delaware and Chesa-
peake Canal into a great ship canal
under the authority Of the Federal
Government.
This commission will sit in Philadel-
phia. probably at the Bourse, one day
next week. The commercial bodies
and the commercial interests OF the city
are Invited TO speak their sentiments
with respect to this important project.
and we may hope that no influence VIII
operate to restrain an imposing DEM
lonstration IN its favor. The opportun-
ity Is unusual for the business men Of
the city to make themselves heard. in
an Impressive way, concerning an en-
terprise that has an important bearing
upon the city's interests.
Seven Sufficient Reasons.
The argument for the enlargement Of
the waterway, so that it may be trav-
ersed by the largest vessel ahoat, ap-
pears TO US to be Of very great force.
That an argument against it should be
Of considerable cogency is really in
conceivable. We may present some Of
the reasons why the canal should be
constructed
]. Such a canal, as has been urged
many times, would permit ships Of war
to be moved with secrecy, safety and
celebrity IN wartime, from Norfolk and
the waters thereabouts to the Delaware,
where the great .shipyards and the
greatest of navy yards are. It would
permit easier protection Of Philadel-
phia, Wilmington, Baltimore. the Naval
Academy at Annapolis. the national
capital and all the Chesapeake Bay re-
gion
If this construction should be supple
mented, as assurediy in time it would
be- By the digging of a deep water ca
nal from the Delaware to the waters
about New York. there would be for
naval operations an inside line of COM
munications from Hampton Roads to
the waters Of Massachusetts,.
No argument is needed to demon
strate the Importance Of such access In
the eNigency of war. It would then be
worth immeasurably more than its
cost In TRUTH the entire case for the
canal might be rested. so far as Judi
cious men are concerned, upon this
single consideration
In Time Of Peace.
2. But the value of the proposed ca
Il nal in time of peace must be so large
as fully to warrant its construction.
The cost of transportation Of freight
! by water is probably somewhere about
one-tunth of the cost by rail- The cit
I les Of Norfolk, Baltimore, Wilmington
and Philadelphia are entitled to have
! for their commerce the advantage
which wouid be supplied in this parti-
cular by a free and sufficient highway
across the Delaware and Maryland Pc
ininsul1.
BY means of the enlargement. at the
expense of a few millions Of dollars, OF
little waterway OF thirteen miles the
4 Chesapeake and the Delaware can be
( made INTO one magnificent highway
and the operations OF commerce be-
tween some OF the most important cit
les In the land. and between those cit
les and foreign lands, can be faclli-
tated.
on few other government works
hitherto undertaken have the assured
gains better warranted the outlay. The
sum Required is OF but trifiing import
ance IN comparison with the certain
consequencon
3. The opposition TO the project, II
there still be any, win come solely from
the railroad companies. We expressly
dony the right Of the stockholders IN
those corporations to interfere to cheat
this great enterprise for absolutely sell
FISH reasons. 1t is the case Of a small
number OF owners Of a railroad or two
AGAINST the interests OF probably from
{. 0OO.0o0 to 10000. 600 American people
who want to do business on natures
highways at the least possible cost
For Producers and Consumers.
In behalf OF this great multitude OF
producers traders and consumers we
urge the fact that the railroads at this
very moment are so overburdened with
business, the traffic is choked and con-
gested ana the movement OF many
freights BY rail IS actually slower thHn
iit would be by river, canal and bay.
And as the trafIic grows larger and
II certainly will the railroads must
become wholly unequal to the task OF
handling the business-unequal to H.
before many years pass. though exist
llne railroad facilities should be dou-
I bled and trebled.
a. The people are entitled TO the
creation Of free waterways, where that
! Is possible. TO the railroad rates may
be regulated and kept within reason
able bounds It is, for example, an
outrage that the Schuylkin canal,
which once compelled the railroad TO
carry ton 81 anthracite coal to Phil
adeipbn for 90 cents, should have been
captured aud thrown almost out OF use
By the railroad company, which at once
advanced the freight on ton Of coal
to S1.7o.
THAT crime we may hope. viii be one
day.iindone: but meanwhile oppression
by the railroads Of the millions who
live near TO the Chesapeake and the
Delaware should be made impossible by
the enlargement OF the peninsula canal
s.. The assertion may be made with
conhdence that rivalry from a canal
never hurts railroad, and that this
proposed ship canal win. IN the long
run. not take an honest dollar from the
rocket OF railroad stockholders. Unless
lai analogles and all experience are
misleading. that which stimulates and
encourages general prosperity contrib
utes directly to the prosperity Of all
carrying companies.