The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1907-10-21
M4T0MAL WATERWAY.

as this City is slated for the
Southern terminal of the water
way to be developed. It is of the
utmost importance that Browns
vile should be represented at the
Euland Waterways Convention in
Houston next month. 1t means
as much for Brownsville as the
Building of the St. Louis Browns
vile & Mexico Railroad.
The new National Waterways
Eommis sion has before 1.-THE largest
task III internal i'm 2rovements and
ulaterinl development ever under
taken in any country or any age
zRccording to the Pittsburg Dis
catch. Deepening the channels OF
zI1e rivers so that they will be per.
xnanently navigable at all seasons
Is but one branch of the general
subject they are to study, and on
zhich they ara to prepare thorough
aud scientific reports for the use
of the authorities at Washington.
IN addition to the making of chan
aels in the interest of transporta-
zion is the retaining of humid
lands by means of which tens of
thousands of square miles of rich
soil can be opened TO agriculture.
Distribution Of power generated by
water IS another matter to be ex-
szu1ined by the commission, and it
sill also look into the requirements
45or the control of floods and the
extension of irrigation. Its field
of work is by no means confined
70 the Mississippi valley, though
Ghis most fertile of the regions of
the earth exceeds in area and pro-
ezuctive resources any other in the
country. 1t is fitting that there
should be historic celebration as
the commission takes up its labors,
zud that the president who ap-
zeinted it, and who is familiar
xith and in sympathy with its
objects, should now address the
nation. He will closely hold the
attention of the people from ocean
20 ocean.
Traffic is growing faster than
railroad facilities, and already the
railroads are pushed to the limit in
earring the freight offered and de-
Eivering it on time. Current figures
show that railroad building can
got proceed fast enough to keep
,Bsee with the demands of farms,
factories and mines. Improved
water transportation is the only
relief in sight. Until it is provided
freight congestion must go from
bad 10 worse. Europe has alread y
made this discovery and acted
upou It. Its canals and canalized
rivers are admitted to be of ines
ENABLE value, and in nowise is it
regretted that billions have been
spent upon them. They have not
znterfered with the prosperity of
railroads. One of the fixed laws
If transportation is that improve
zaents. create trade. Building
<rolley lines has not hurt the steam
roads. The1atter have never been
SO crowded with business as in the
last few years. Though more than
SO 900, 900 tons, of freight pass
yearly up and down the Great
Lakes the railroads in that region
are buster and NOSE profitable than
an any former period.
Reclamation of lands by drain
age Will greatly increase farrl pro-
qsuction, and this added surplus
must be carried to the markets.
In Missouri and Illinois alone are
$4,000 or 5000 square miles than
can thus be redeemed, and soil of
this nature is inexhaustibly rich.
The world has entered an electric
zge, and a beginning has been
uzade in the long distance trans
mission of power generated by
zster. Examples are seen at Ma
- o+ vrarioT1s 0ointS along