Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-03-28
NEWS or
NATIONAL
CAPITAL

railroad system In the world he VIII
now turn his hand to developing the
greatest system Of waterways of any
civilized country. President Roose-
welt has given his pledge to this in
the appointment of the inland water
ways commission. This commission,
composed OF men yersod IN the in
tricacIes OF the question of waterway
, development. will pass upon better
ment projects In connection with the
streams and lakes Of the interior. In
appropriations for the work congress
will do the rest.
The action of the president found
its incentive largely in the total in
ability OF the railroads to handle the
vastly increased commerce OF the
country. In his letter TO the eight
public men who will compose the
commission, the President says:
"It Is common knowledge that the
railroads OF the United States are no
longer able 10 move crops and manu-
factures rapidly enough 10 secure the
prompt transaction OF the business
OF the nation. and there Is small pros
pect OF immediate relief. Representa-
tive railroad men point out that the
products OF the northern interior
states have doubled In ten years.
while the railroads facilities have In
creased but one-eight and there Is
reason 90 doubt whether any develop |
ment OF the railroads possible In the |
near future will sufiice TO keep trans
portation abreast OF production. |
There appears 90 be but one COM
plete romedy-the developments OF
Complementary system OF transpor-
tation by water. Tho present conges.
tlon effects chiefly the people OF the
Mississippi valley and they demand
relief. when the congestion OF which
they complain ls relieved. the whole
nation will share the goods results"
The Presidents attitude on the
question OF waterways Improvement
Is n complete and hearty recognition
OF the demands OF the National
Rivers and Harbors congress that
$50. 200, ,O0O annually bo approprint-
cd by congress for this internal de-
vclopment. The President. In his
letter. recognizes thdt tho oXpondi-
lures will be heavy. but these ex-
pendlturos have his complete sane
tion. lie SAYS,
"The cost viii necessarily be large
IN proportion 10 the magnitude of
the benefit conferred. but Il viii be
small In comparison with the Sl7.- \
600. 100000 of capital now in
vested In steam railways In the Uni.
ted States, an amount that woull
have scmed enormous and incredible
half a century ago. Yet the Invest
ment has boon "A constant source og
profit 60 the people. and without Il
much industrial progress would have
been impossible"
Ia edition President Roosevelt,
having IA mind tho disastrous Hoods
that have worked such loss OF lie
and damage Ca property along the
Ohio river ana Is tributaries. urges
the ho;terment of the inland streams
as means OF preventing such dis
astrons freshots IA the future With
the channels OF the large streams im-
proved IL would be possible 10 con
troll and direct the flow of the water .
40 that the current would neither be
too swift FOR navigation nor tho tide /
riHe high enough 10 overflow the ad-
iaeent country Ia his letter he /
touched ON the fact tha, half cen
tury ago Il was computed by Cen I
erals Humphreys aud Abbot that tho
Mississippi river alone sweeps into /.
its lower reaches and the gulg hoat' 4
ing sediment each year TO the amoun,
OF i,o00 geo tons. Some idea OF the
immonslty of this amount OF soil I
may be he'd when q is known that
Il aggregates about twice ghe amount
of material 20 be oxeayated In tho
digging of tho Panama canal
Having loreseen the straits 60
which commerce would come because
Of lack OF proper transportation
the National Rivers ana Ilarbors con-
Fress during the last four years has
urscd upon the eouniry that some
such policy 30 adopted as Is framed
in the Presidents leitor and ln hls
appointment 81 tho inland waterways
commission, Tho question OF water
way development has received such
soant attention % the past that pro.
iecia agefegatlns more than tSee,
oeo,ooo. approved and endorsed BY
the engineers az the war department.
have not beea undertaken because