Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-12-10
RAILROAD EXTENSION
THING OF THE PAST
SAYS OCKERSON
Country Must Look TO Wdtor-
ways for TranspoTtd.
ton In The
Future.
RAILROADS CAN'T
| HANDLE BUSINESS
They Showed Inability In 1900
and Unless Rivers and Canals
Are Utilized the Same
/ Conditions VIII
Arise Again.

Washington. Dec. 10.-Promfnent
speakers, among them Speaker Cam
non and the brazilian ambassador.
Nabuco. addressed today's session Of
the National River and Harbor's con-
gress. The Atlantic coasts interest
in the national river and harbors
policy was the subject on which An
thony Higgins. former United States
senator from Delaware. addressed the
conventions, while James Van Cleave,
! president of the National Association
of Manufacturers, told OF the manu-
facturers' interest In improved water
ways.
j. A. Ockerson, of st. Louis, mem
Der of the Mississippi river eommis-
sion. told of the utility of waterways
as factor in transportation" Mr..
| Ockerman said:
| "The demand for shipping facilities
continued to increase to such an ex-
tent that by 1906 the railways. supple
mented by such waterways as were
available, were wholly unable to meet
the requirements OF transportation.
There were In effective operation
at that time 220,6SS miles of railways.
on which, were. employed $4,000 loco
motives and 1,750, 600 freight cars. 1t
y said BY y Interstate Commerce
commission that n. 40 years. ending
in 1907, the traclkage had Increased
24.7 per cent, while the volume OF
traffic Increased 1857 per cent
Under these conditions. II was es-
timated that an increase of at least
25 per cent In trackage, terminals and
equipment would be necessary in the
next five years in order to satisfact-
orily handle the commerce Of the
country
'As the average cost per mile OF
railway and equipment Is $71,5Ss
the investment In such increase would
reach enormous proportions.
"The day of great extensions of
] railways is past. They are no longer
possible, owing to the increased cost
of right of way, and the cost OF new
d terminals in great shipping centers
+ would be so great as to be practical
7 ly prOffbitfye.
$ "The day OF land grants and gov
- ernmental bond issues in aid OF rali-
l. way construction are also things OF
9 the past.
"Tnfs situation has brought about
lively interest in the general Inn
provement of available waterways
which had been largely over looked
and neglected during the period OF
active railway development"
i Mr.. Ockerson reviewing what has
been done by the government in Inn
n proving waterways, commented upor
the abandonment of some 2,750 miles
of canal, built prior to 1880. the cosI
of which was about sI3,00O.0O0. Ac'
N cording to the speaker. "the chiei
ls reason for such abandonment was un'
ID doubtedly that they became obsolet'
If because of too small capacity to NEE
n the demands OF commerce. and durini
ty the era of rapid railway extensicr
ne the Importance of enlarging them wa
not recognized.
n "The improvement OF our harbor
ce has kept pace fairly well with similal
ne work in other lands. as far as deptl
e. Is concerned: but in the facilities 70
n handling traffic, the loading and un
he loading of vessels several Europea
Il ports are better equipped than tn
of best OF ours" he said.