Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-01-09

here - nothing radical or visionary
IA the plan for an inland coast water
way paralleling the Atlantic and capa-
bio OF an almost indefinite extension
" hin the limits Of the Union, which
- discussed before the recent con-
ence at Philadelphia. Seventeen
ties were represented at the confer
~ e, although the waterway specifcal-
+, considered would neither traverse
nor skirt the territory Of more than
ten states. II Is said that states lying
Contiguous to the region most directly
Effected heartily favor the project as
ne which Ii certain u benefit a whole
.ction of states rather than one mar
belt Of states.
iature has practically fixed the route
the Atlantic coast inland waterway
i Indicated where the work for Its
lmotion should begin. In this order,
Iinning on the south, the waters Of the
nth Carolina sounds James river
esapeake bay, the Delaware and Hud-
4 rivers and Long Island sound and
massachusetts, bay furnish independent
Il separate channels for vessels, and
ere are only wanting artificial links
,nparatlvely easy Of construction to
complete chain OF interior coastal
waterways along more than half OF
orr Atlantic coast line. Some Of the
links have been made The United
i ates government Is at work upon a
pnnection between the mouth Of the
ines river and the sounds OF North
nrollna, Two canals across the Mary
Hnd peninsula and New Jersey res
pectively have long been in existence,
lud the Cape Cod canal an old idea
recently revived, now under construc-
tlon, forms the fourth important link.
The process of undermining the old
canals and bringing them up to the
y esent needs of traffic will be great,
It II is believed that the total cost Of
% improvements and new construc-
ion necessary between North Carolina
ind Massachusetts, bay Will not exceed
the expenditure for deepening the Erie
canal, about $1O0OOO0O0 Farther
south and in the nature of an extern
sion Of the system here considered 1t
was suggested In the recent confer
ence system of canals that would
lead across South Carolina, Georgia
and Florida to the waters Of the gulf
of Mexico VIII be feasible. Between
this Atlantic coast waterway and the
lake to gulf route upon which attention
has been fxed there can be no hostil-
ity, although there may be some friend
ly rivalry in the matter of showing en-
terprise. The Erie canal would com
plete a circle embracing the most pop
ulOus half of the Union, and the bene!
fits would be felt by nearly the whole
nation.
II m q mistake to treat the proposed
inland coast waterway as blow at
the railroads. Its construction has be-
come imperative because the railroads
are not able to carry the freight that is
offered or that would be offered were
this facility for coast traffic finished.
The object of improving waterways
here and elsewhere Is to create trade,
not merely to divert It, Heavy crude
freight cannot be carried by the rail
roads long distance probably. 1t IL
here that water communication sup
plements the railroads by taking the
heavier and bulkier freight, leaving for
the railroads the more compact articles
and the perishable freight, which they
can handle with facility and carry at
q proht both to the shippers and the
railroads, Already our natural re-
sources are SO fully developed and in
some cases are so near exhaustion that
America can no longer afford to neg
lect any means for the expension OF SITS
commercial and Industrial facilities.