The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-11-26

and d similar meeting In advocacy Of
tthc Atlantic Coast inland waterways AT
philadelphia. this gathering is intended
to register the bigh.waier mark Of on.
thusiasm Oh this subject. In addition
10 representatives Of commercial bodies
from every part of The country mum
bcr Of governors have signified their
intention OF attending II IL expected
that tho convention will be- addressed
| by one Of the members Of Tho Cabinet
probably either Secretary Root or Secre.
tary Cortelyou, and II is safe TO say that
except Ion his ironclad rule 10 address
no conference In Washington, the Presi.
dent himself would make ringing
speech, Ambassadors Won stcfnbefg
and Jtisseranf are TO tell what the
policy Of waterway improvement has
accomplished for their own countries.
and the convention will probably 20 on
record m advocating the placing Of
waterway improvements on The same
plane ~ the army, navy. pension and
other objects Of the attention Of every
Congress.
Request will be made that yearly APP
preparations be devoted 10 the rivers
and harbors Of the country instead OF
an appropriation about once in three
years. as has been the custom. Coupled
with this will be request that this ap'
preparation shall amount 10 not less
than s50,OD.0oO year While rho
National Rivers and ilarbors Congress
has laid down the rule that II Will adj
yocate no specific scheme, but only the
adoption OF a general national policy.
most Of the organizations and iudivid.
uals who are behind special projects
such as tha' OF deepening the Missis'
sippi or constructing an inland water.
way along the Atlantic Coast, are mem
bcrs of the larger organization, arguing.
and with reason. that no project how
eym worthy Is certain Of execution
unless q broad national scheme OF im-
proyement Is adopted.
Figures show the tremendous saving
already due TO water transportation IN
this country. II ~ estimated that in
the case Of he freight which passed
through the $500 canal between Lake
Superior and Lake Huron In 1905.
amounting to ti.oo00oo tons. the differ
sncc between the actual rate Of trans
portation by water and the rate which II
would have had to pay by rail represent.
cd an economy OF sl50,000.0OO. The
total expenditures on the Lakes up to
date have been about $T0.000.000, so that
the saving on commerce through the
800" In single year was more than
twice the total cost OF all improve
ments In the entire, lake system.
The difference between freight rates
on whea, from Chicago TO New York BY
lake and canal and by rail Is 5.35 cents
u bushel in favor Of the water route.
On the cereal crop Of the states adjacent
to the lakes--Illincis, Indiana, Iowa,
Michigan. Minnesota, Ohio and Wis
difference represented
saving for the census year 1900, when
the crops amounted TO 2,200.0O0,Oo0
bushels. Of more than $ll0,000.0O0 To
the farmers Of those states on freights
10 the seaboard alone,
To take another comparison, there Is
q commerce in iron ore and coal OF
about S0090.0oo tons annually between
and the Lake Erie harbor Of
Conneaut and Ashtabula. The ore Is
carried BY boats from Duluth TO Ashta-
bula or Conneaut, distance OF approxi-
mately 1900 miles, at charge OF about
so cents ton. 1t Is then loaded on
,ars and carried 1875 miles to pittsburg
for 90 cents a ton, or seven times the
water rots, taking into account the dif. |.
ference in distance. Coal is carried
from Pittsburg to these Erie ports at 90
,ents ton and thence shipped by i
water to upper lake ports at 80 cents a
on, or about one.twentieth OF the cost
" rail. r.
At the present rate of progress some
II the most important works now under
way will need years for completion. On
he Harlem River, where commerce
4 nearly $300O00ooo passes annually,
plan OF improvement to cost $2,700-
100 was begun twenty. eight years ago.
% date $l,S50,000 has been appropria.
ed and spent and the work is only
'alf completed. AT this rate another
wenty.eight years will pass before it is
inished Thirty-one years ago a pro.
rot for six.foot slack water navigation I
N the Ohio was adopted OF 50 locks I
nd dams provided for in the plan, six !
ave been completed and four more be- !
un Meanwhile the project has been Z
hanged to q nine.foot depth. Unless !
he work is hastened 1t will drag on for J
fly years. z