New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-08
WATERKAY IMPROVEMENT.

The organized movement for systematic i'm
provement of the inland waterways of the
United States is cOmmendable, and il is of not
altogether academic interest as reminder and
a rebuke of a certain heedlessness which TOO
often marks our Industrial and commercial
progress Before the day of the railroads the
rivers were highly esteemed as routes of trade
and travel. We may well assume that prin-
cipal reason for the speedy growth OF Ken
lucky into the first state beyond the Allie
ghanies was that il was bOrdered for so great
a distance by great navigable rivers, and traces
Of the same influence may be perceived IN tho
histories Of other commemorative. In those
days too, before the building Of railroads, the
Erie Canal and other artificial waterways
were created. But with the invention and de-
veIopment Of the railroad there came a change.
Canal digging declined. and some existing
canals fell into disuSe, while rivers also seemed
10 lose favor and importance. The new method
Of transportation was so much superior in some
respects 10 the old that men neglected the latter
for it, and thOughtlessly assumed that the old
would be entirely supplanted by the new.
They were in error. as they now perceive.
The difference between land transportation and
water transportation is one not so much Of
degree as Of kind; and. while a superior de-
gree may wholly supplant an inferior, it is not
always possible to say that one kind is wholly
superior to another. On the whole the railroad
may be superior to the waterway, but It Is not
so in every respect. In some details the water
way has advantages over the railroad, and
these are sufficient to make its maintenance de-
srable, and not only its maintenance, but also
its improvement TO the highest efficiency For
more than half a century invention and enter
prise have been given to the development Of
railroads perhaps more than TO any other feat
ure OF our material progress 1t has been
worth WHILE no doubt. But It would also have
been worth while TO give much more attention
than was given TO the maintenance improve
ment and extension Of natural ana artificial
| waterways.
For we now realize what men some time ago
did not, that the growth OF this nation is great
enough to utilize both methods and all meth
DDS of transportation. In these last few months
there have been innumerable complaints az the
sheer physical inability of the railroads with
which the country Is gridironed to do 4he nac
essary carrying trade Of the country. There is
| not sufficient mileage, nor sufficient siding ana
terminal facilities. nor enough cars and engines
An expert authority has declared that a GupII.
cation Of the whole system would be no mora
| than Is needed 70 remedy congestion and IL
has been suggested that there should he forth
with expended on American railroads in new
construction and general improvements a sum
measured by billions OF dollars-so vast as 70
be practically impossible. Yet It is quite oh
yious that IL only existing WATERWAYS yera
fully utilized, and others were created where
nature has facilitated such work, a vast relief
TO congestion would be afforded Germany. as
| we have hitherto observed, has learned this les
son, and, while she has a much greater rail-
road mileage than America in proportion 10 her
area, she is developing a network OF inland
waterways surprising all suggestions ever
made in this country. Great Britain, too. with