New-York tribune., 1908-02-27
INLAND WATERWAYS.
NEED OF DEVELOPMENT.
President Transmits Report of Com
mission to Congress.

UtLSSfCH ~ 1DNSfScSs
washington Feb 26.-President Roosevelt
transmitted TO Congress to-day the preliminary
report and recommendations of the Burton COM
mission on inland waterways In the message
accompanying the report the President says;
transmit herewith preliminary report from
the Inland Waterways Commission, which was
appointed by me last March in response 10 d
widespread interest and demand from the peo-
pie The basis of this demand lay in the gem
eral and admitted inability of the railroads 20
handle promptly the traffic Of the country ana
especially the crops of the previous fan
This report is well worth your attention. IL Is
thorough conservative. sane and just 1t rep
exceptionally qualified, by personal experience
and knowledge Of conditions throughout Tue
United States. to understand and discuss the
great problem of how best 10 use our waterways
IN the interest OF all the people. Unusual care
has been taken secure accuracy and balaice
OF statement If the report at all il is by
s,verconservatism It contains findings or
statements OF fact. a number of SPECIFIC recon-
rnendations and an account of inquiries still IN
and other information contained in voluminous
appendix The subject with which II deals Is OF
critical Importance both TO the present ana ttie
future OF our country.
our river systems are better adapted TO the
needs of the people than those Of any other
country. In extent. distribution, naVlgaolllty
and ease Of use they stand first Yet the
rivers OF no other civilized country are so
r,oo-lv developed so little used. or play so
ernsn q nar+ in the industrial life of the nation
as those of the United States Ia view of the use
made Of rivers elsewhere the failure 10 use our
believe that il viii last The accompanying re-
port indicates clearly the reasons for 1t ana
the way 10 end it
BLAME LAID ON RAILROADS.
The commission finds that it was unregulated
railroad competition which prevented or de-
sfrGve5 the DEVELOPMENT of commerce on our
inland waterways The Mississippi, our great
est natural highway. is q case in point AT one
time the traffic upon IL was without a rlVaI IN
zrv country The report shows that commerce
was driven from the Mississippi by the rail-
roads. While production was ilmlteo the rali-
ways, with their convenient terminals gave
quicker and more satisfactory service than the
Waterways. Later they prevented the reStora-
ton Of river traffic by keeping down their rates
along the rivers reCouping themselves ny
higher charges elsewhere. They also acquired
Haterfronts and terminals 10 an extent whlch
made water competition impossible. Through
out the country the railways have secured SUCH
control Of canals and steamboat lines that to-
day inland waterway transportation Is largely
in their hands. This was natural and doubtless
inevitable under the circumstances, but II should
not be allowed 10 continue unless under careful
government regulation
by boat which IS not carried q part OF Its jour
rley By rail also. AS the report shows, the sue
cessfui development and Use of our interstate
waterways viii require intelligent regulation OF
the relations between rail and water traffic
When this is done the railway and waterways
viii assist instead OF lnJurlIg each othef- both
viii benefit, hut the chief beneft VIII accrue TO
the people in general through quicker ana
cheaper transportation.
TIE report rests throughout the funda
mental conception that every waterway should
Re made TO the people as largely and In as
many different ways possible. It is poor
business TO develop a river Tor navigation IN
such q way as to prevent its use for power.
when by a little foresight il could be made
10 serve both purposes We cannot afford
needlessly TO sacrifice power to irrigation,
when by taking thought may have all
three. Every stream should be used to the
utmost No stream can be SO used unless such
is planned for IN advance When such
plans made we shall find that instead of in
terfeTing one use can often be made TO assist
another Each river system. from its head
waters in the forest 10 its mouth on the coast is
a single unit and should be treated as such.
Navigation of the lower reaches OF a stream
cannot be fully developed without the control
Of floods and lew waters by storage and drain
age. Nayigab.e 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 a stream for domestic and
municipal water supply. Tor power. and n many
cases for irrigation, must also be Ia ken into full
account.
RESULTS TO BE SECURED.
The development of our inland waterways
will have results far beyond the immediate gain
Il commerce Deep channels along the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts and from the Gulf TO the Great
Lakes viii nave high value for the national
defence The of water power will measur
ably relieve the drain upon our diminishing
instead Of rail only viii tend 10 conserve our
iron Forest protection. without which river
Improvement cannot be permanent, viii at the
same time help to postpone the threatened tim
Der famine and VIII secure US against total
dearth Of timber by providing for the perpetua-
tion OF the remaining woodlands. Irrigation
viii create the means OF livelihood for millions
of people, and supplies of pure water will pow
erfUlly promote the public health If the policy
Of waterway Improvement here recommended is
carried out il viii affect for gO6d every citizen
Of the Repuhlic The national government must
play the leading part in securing the largest
possible use Of our waterways; other agencies
can assist and should assist, but the work is
essentially national in It's scope
The various uses Of waterways are now dealt
with by bureaus scattered through four federal
departments. At present. therefore il is not
possible TO deal with river system s a single
problem. But the commission here recommends
& policy under which all the commercial and
industrial uses Of the waterways may be de-
Vel9ped at the same tine. To that end Congress
should provide some administrative machinery
for cc-ordinating the work OF the various de-
partments far it relates TO waterways
Otherwise there VIII not only be delay but the
people a whole will fail 10 get from our
streams The benefits TO which they are Justly
entitled.
The commission recognizes that the cost of
improving our inland waterways viii be large
but far less than would be required TO relieve
the congestion Of traffic by railway extension
The benefits Of such Improvement will be large
also, and they viii touch the daily life Of our
people at every point. uniting the interests of
{ ID the states and sections Of our country The
cost and The benefits should he equitabIy dis