The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-09-10
SAID TO EE ONE REcoMMENDA-
TIoN IN PRESIDENTS COMING
MESSAGE 70 CONGRESS.
ST RiKlNC ILLUSTRATION
CT Effect OF River Competition In
Making Rates ny Rail Set Forth
In Table Prepared by
War Department.

u sNhSil+iRtOI, sept. D. DlSShtiSIi gN
With the working Ct the railroad rase
law. President Roosevelt Ii sail To
lave embodied I'm Ills message To
I the Sixtieth congress racommenda
sirns for strengthening that statute.
The Interstate commerce commission
III almost buried In work as result
Iof the measure, which Ii said not To
afford the relief the administration
and the American people expected.
Now the believers ia lower transpor-
tation tolls as q guarantee Of d
greater flow Of traffic are casting
around for some means OF stimulating
trade.
Just at this tlme, when experts are
very much at sea, Major Richie Of the
Army Engineer Corps has supplied
some figures that have shed Il new
light en- the subject. Major Riche's
report to the war department IL
lengthy, but the meat OF his atgu-
ment rs 10 be found in short table
I'll comparative figures that, although
extremely brief In itself, contains
volumes Of inspiration
This table makes comparison be
tween the rates frcm ST Louis To ST.
Parl 5T3 miles by rail and 729 mises
BY river, and from ST. Louis to Okla
homa City, 543 miles by rail with no
waterway competition. The table OF
rates follows
Glass 4 2 . 4 81
Ran .s e3 5 521s $40 $. 20 sci
River 40 IA AZ ~ IA
Ok. City | 80 90 .9T s4 5.G7
Major Richie who has charge III the
improvement work on the upper Mis-
sissippi river, has unwittingIy In
dcrsed the chief contention of tho Ma
tIDnaI Rivers aAtl HarbeFs enssEfnnE
that developed rivers and harburs Will
To more To solve the rate problem
than all the laws enacted By the fea
rral on state legislatures, The nrgaai
people and their represel
.atives at the national capital the |
for eXpending not less than /
s50, 100000 q year on these improve
nents. Capt J. +. Ellison, Of Cinnin
lati, its secretary aud treasurer. liz /
preparing for the next national con
'ention to be held here in December, /
~ striving to increase the member
hip untiiit shall embrace every ship
YER and every commercial community
n the United States.
In presenting his figures, Maicr
siche devotes a little space to point
ng out the discrepancy In rates be-
ween points at the mercy of the rail
oads and those within reasonable
istance of navigabIe streams. He
ays:
while Il is not claimed that river
are solely responsible
Dr the great difference In freight
ates above shown. 1t is well known
hat wherever water competition ex-
It's. whether by river. canal or lake.
IS effect on freight rates Is always
eneficial to the public. and so long
3 the navigation Of the Mississippi
WI 10 iidtAiNdbit anu SbHltN litl III
roportion to the feasibility of that
avigation. such benefit will accrue I
ven If but little river commerce is
carried en-"
There is little doubt that the ap-
rorriq;ion for rivers and harbors by
he next congress win establish a
cord. President Roosevelt is deeply !
lterested In the subject and is TO
Ike a trip down the Father of
laters the latter part of this month,
nding his voyage at Memphis. where
q is expected to make a powerful
peech at the Deep Waterway con
ention. This, beyond question. viii
Emulate the growing interest in the
biect and lead to greater activity in
ie Improvement Of the rivers and
arbors of the Unitel States. ..