The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-26
President Roosevelt In q Special
Message to Congress
Transmits the Report Of the
Waterways Commission.
RAILROADS BLAMED.
For the Destruction of River
and Lake Commerce.
Lawmakers Urged to Prompt
Action for Its Restoration.

Washington, February 26-President
gress the preliminary report of the in
land waterways commission. accom-
panytng it with the following message:
To the Senate and House OF Represen-
tatives:
transmit herewith a preliminary re-
port from the inland waterways com
| mission which was appointed by me
last March in response to a Widespread
interest and demand from the people
The basis of this demand lay in the
general and admitted inability OF the
railroads to handle promptly the traf-
| fic of the country, and especially the
crops of the previous fall.
This report Is well worth your atten-
| tfon. 1t Is thorough, conservative. sane,
and just. 1t represents the mature
Judgment OF body Of men exceptions
ally qualified, by personal experiences
and knowledge of conditions through
out the United States, to understand
and discuss the great problem of how
best to use our waterways in the In
terest Of all the people Unusual care
has been taken to secure accuracy and
balance Of statement. If the report errs
at all 1t is by over-conseTvattsm. 1t
contains findings or statements OF fRct.
| q number of specific recommendations,
and an account Of inquiries still in prog
ress, and 1t Is based in part On statis-
L
voluninous appendix. The subject
with which 1t deals is of critical import
ance both to the present and the future
| Of our country.
Our river systems are better adapted
| to the needs of the people than those of
any other country. In extent, distr1bu-
ton. navigability, and ease OF use, they
stand first. Yet the rivers Of no othsr
| civilized country are so poorly develop
ed, SO little used, or play so small
part in the Industrial life of the nation
as those of the United States. In view
| of the use made Of rivers elsewhere.
| the failure to use our own is astonisf-
ing, and no thoughtful man can believe
| that it win last The accompanying
report indicates clearly the reasons for
1t and the way to end 1t.
/ Railroads Responsible.
1 The commission finds that it was un-
regulated railroad competition which
prevented or destroyed the develop
| ment Of commerce on our inland wa.
terways. The Mississippi, our greatest
| natural highway Is a case in point At
one time the traffic upon 1t was with
| out rival in any country The report
| shows that commerce was driven from
| the Mississippi by the railroads. While
| production was limited, the railways.
| with their convenient terminals, gave
quicker and more satisfactory service
| than the waterways. Later they pre-
I
by keeping down their rates along the
| rivers recouping themselves by higher
charges elsewhere. They also acquired
| water fronts and terminals to an extent
which made water competition tmpossi-
ble.' Throughout the country the rail-
| ways have secured such control OF
| canals and steamboat lines that today
| inland waterway transportation 10
| largely In their hands This was
/ natural and doubtless inevitable under
~ rk - xx11 - =
| allowed to continue unless under care
| full government regulation.
Comparatively little inland freight is
| carried by boat which is not carried
| part Of its journey by rail also. As the
report shows. the successful develop
ment and use of our interstate water
ways will require intelligent regulation
| Of the relations between rail and water
| traffic. When this is done the railways
and waterways will assist instead OF
| injuring each other. Both will benefit.
/ but the chief benefit will accrue to the
| people in general through quicker and
1 cheaper transportation.
The report rests throughout on the
| fundamental conception that every wa
| terway should be made to serve the
| people as largely and in as many diff
| ferent ways as possible 1t is poor bus
| mess to develop a river for navigation
| in such a way as to prevent Its use for
power when by a little foresight IT
could be made to serve both purposes
We can not afford needlessly to sacrf-
| flee power to irrigation. or irrigation to
domestic water supply. when by taking
| thought we may have all three. Every
stream should be used to the utmost
| No stream oan be so used unless such
use Is planned for in advance. When
! such plans are made we shall find that,
| instead of interfering, one use can often
| be made to assist another. Each river
system, from it's headwaters in the
| forest to it's mouth on the coast, is a
single unit and should be treated as
such Navigation of the lower reaches
| OF stream can not be fully developed
| without the control of floods and low
| waters by storage and drainage. Navi-
gable channels are directly concerned
with the protection of source waters.
and with soil erosion which takes the
materials for bars and shoals from the
richest portions of our farms. The uses
| of q stream for domestic and municipal
| water supply, for power, and In many
cases for irrigation, must also be taken
/! into full account.
| Benefits to Follow
The development of our inland water
ways will have results far beyond the
| Immediate gain to commerce Deep
channels along the Great Lakes will
| have high value for the national de-
fense. The use Of water power will
measurably relieve the drain upon our
| diminishing supplies of coal, and trans
portation by water instead OF rail only
will tend to conserve our iron. Forest
/ protection. without which river I'm
provement cannot be permanent, will
at the same time help to postpone the
/ threaten timber famine, and will Sc
cure us against a total dearth OF timber
| by providing for the perpetuation Of the
int a nde Trrir Tor, xxyfI