Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-17
Inland Waterways,

| No scheme of public improvement
has attracted greater attention or made
greater progress in the good opinion OF
the American people than that which
contemplates comprehensive nationa
system of inland waterways. The
general plan favored by the Rivers and
Harbors Congress at it's recent meeting
in Washington contemplates the issu-
bonds for internal water courses, to be
distributed over ten-year period, or
$50, 900, 900 annually.
In connection with this recommends
| ton the statistics gathered during the
| past six months under the direction of
the Inland Waterways Commission
| have a special significance and value.
| This report is too voluminous to repro
duce in full, but some of its more in
| teresting features are as follows:
The cost of water carriage averaging
about one-fourth that of rail carriage,
and cur railway freightage during 1906
reaching 217,OoO, 100000 ton-miles at an
average rate of OF cent, the shipping
of one-fifth of our freight by water
would have saved over $250.00O,000 to
our producers and consumers.
The theoretical power of the streams
is over 10000, o,0OO-horsepower; the
amount now in use is 5,25O,00O 0O-horse-
power The amount available at a
cost comparable with that of steam in
horsepower, and the amount available
at reasonable cost at 75,000,00O to $780,
900, ,OC0- horsepower. The 37,000,0O0 horse
power exceeds our entire mechanical
power now in use, and would operate
every mill, drive every spindle, propel
every train and boat, and light every
city, town and village in the country.
The direct yearly damage by floods
since 1900 has increased steadily from
$4,000, 900 to s23S, 100000; the indirect
loss through depreciation of property is
probably greater; while the largest loss
is that arising in the impeachment of
navigation and terminal transfers.
The freshcts are attended by destruc-
tive soil erosion. The soil matter an
nually carried into lower rivers and
harbOrs or into the sea reaches 7S3,000,
900 tons. Its removal seriously re-
duces the productivity of upland farms
and increases channel cutting and bar
building in the rivers. 1t is estimated
that soil erosion reduces farm produc-
ton 10 per cent to 90 per cent; and
that the annual loss to the farrns alone
is $500 900, eco; and that large losses fol-
low the pollution of the waters and the
diminution of navigability in the
streams.
Through imperfect control Of the
running waters lowlands are temporar
lily or permanently flooded. 1t is esti-
mated that there are in mainland
United States 7j000,o00 to $4,000, 900
acres of overflow and swamp lands re-
quiring drainage; that by systematic
opera tions these can be drained at
moderate expense; and that they
would then be worth two or three times
the present value and cost Of drainage,
and would furnish homes for 100000
people.
1t is roughly estimated the the direct
benefits would comprise an annual saw
ing in transportation of $250,000,OOO, an
annual saving in flood damage of $780,
100000, an average annual saving in
forest fires of at least S25,000,0 an an
nual benefit through cheapened power
of fully $75,O0O,OOO and an annual saw
ing in soil erosion Cor corresponding
benefit through increased farm produc-
tiom of $500, 900, ,OO0-a total of $1,000
0OO,0Oc or $3.50 per capita annually,
i. e., 20 times the cost. In addition,
large benefits would result from ex-
tended irrigation from the drainage
and settlement of swamp and overflow
lands and from purified and cheapened
water supply with consequent dmnu-
ton OF disease and saving of human
life.
Reckoning the total cost of domestic
traffic by rail and water and wagon,
with freightage on imports, it Is prob
able that the average American family
pays for transportation of food and
clothing more than % per cent of their
actual COST. e., our consumers pay
too much and our producers get too lit
tie for the necessaries of life. This
condition would be relieved by the de-
veopment of water transportation on
an adequate scale.
1T is estimated that the income de-
rived from power developed by works
for the improvement of navigation
would alone, at current market rates
utilized in cooperation with states and
citizens, compensate the entire cost of
Il 81.