The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-05-25

dawnca on the country that the work
cut out for Congressman Burton aud
Inland Waterways touAlission y hc
his colleagues on the !, appointed
enormous. In all the discussion Of the
navigable waterways OF the United
States, little has been said or written
that would disclose their vast reaches,
The inland stNams of the United
States are IN keeping with the wonder
full distances OF the country. As ave,
nues 81 transportation they arc 4
marvellous system In themselves.
II Is not generally known that the
total nayigahle distance OF the Miss
issippi River extends over space Of
s,l6l miles for the average steamers,
and a.237 miles for smaller craft. Ia.
king into consideration the tributa.
ries Of the Father Of Waters, these
combined would make 4 river system
1890 miles long, through which a
gooi.sised steamer could make It's way.
Some idea OF the distance these tlg.
ures convey can hc gained only BY
comparison. II IL astonishing To hnd
that it Is slightly greater than from
New York to Bangkok by way Of Lon.
don. II the steamer were driven By
powerful engines, and made continn
ous trip, il might complete the Jour.
ney in about iifty days However, II
Il were compelled to make A. many
stops as fall to the share Of the aver,
age river steamer, this time would be
greatly heightened,
These figures are Tor the Mississippi
River and Its tributaries alone. The
splendid reaches Of the Columbia River
and the mileage OF scores Of other nayi.
gable streams emptying into the Al.
lantic and Pacific oceans and the Gulf
of Mexico, are not taken into cousid.
GRAFTON. With this mileage added, the
navigable rivers Of the United States
are the wonders Of the world.
A faint idea Of the immense volume
OF water that sweeps through the Miss.
issippi valley may he gained from the
fact that every second the Mississippi
River ponrs into the Gulf Of Mexico
675,0OO cubic feet OF water. For more
than a quarter Of century this great
volume Of water has served little to
advanre the cause OF Commerce. The
government, instead Of barnessing the
great tide and making It bear on its
bosom feet Of freight carrying
steamers, has been content 10 fight its
encroachment on farming lands, re.
garding II rather destructive agency
than as great factor in the advance.
ment Of the country's prosperity.
With the appointment Of the Inland
Waterways Commission, AMI the pas.
sage of big appropriation bill for
waterways improvement by the last
Congress, this policy Is about to be
The freight congestion that
has paralyzed the railroads and has
gripped the Commerce OF the whole
United States. has driven the Federal
government into taking steps for the
creation Of another means of trans.
portation. This decision was reached
only after coal famines caused untold
throughout the Northwest,
md the agricultural states found them.
selves financially embarrassed in the
midst Of plenty. because of tho inabili.
ty Of the railroads to carry their pro.
lucts to market, while the mnnufactu-
ring states felt the same embarrass.
ment, because Of the impossibility of
getting delivery Of raw materials.
Large credit is due to the National
Rivers h Harbors, Congress for the be.
lated recognition Of the waterways as
q means for relieving transportation
The organization, which has
been at work for five years bringing
The matter to the attention Of the
country, ID non-political and lends its
powerful influence to no individual
scheme for betterment II stands for
q general campaign Of waterway inn
proyement, and has contcnded unbesi.
tatingly that not less than s5OOOO,0OO
a year should be expended by the gov.
ernment in this important work Of in
ternal Improvement.
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