Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-12-04
THE SAVING IN FREIGHT.


ment THAI the 500 canal. The |
statistics of its traffic show that
the annual freight charges pass
Ing through its locks is no less
tI an $4,000, 600 annually-with
the freight traffic growing with
each wear and with the fact inn
pressed upon shipper and receiver
that the freight charges by rail
upon the annual tonnage OF the
500 canal would be not less than
800, 900, 900, so great is the diff
ference between freight charges
ny rail and freight charges by
water.
From the port of Duluth, in
MINES ota, to the ports of Ashta-
hnla, Cleveland, Toledo, and San
husky in Ohio, q distance of 200
miles, iron ore is carried, by way
f the 500 canal, at the average
freight rate of 80 cents per ton.
| with the railway charging 80
| cents per ton for carrying the
same ore from the port of Ashta-
bula to Pittsburgh, a distance OF
100 miles-or ten cents per ton
more for the 1870 miles than the
lake steamers charge for carrying
Fit 900 miles. Bnt il the freight
charges on ore by water and by
rail furnish a striking object
lesson, the charges OH coal furnish
IAN object lesson still more con-
yincing of the need Of waterway
tmproy :ment. The lake steamer
charges 85 cents per ton for coal
..trried from Ash tabula to Du-
ruth, with the railway charging
| 10 cents pereton for carrying the
ame coal SSfrom Pittsburgh to
lshta bula-approximately twen-
times greater than the water
cute rates, and coal is the one
lbsolute requisite for industrial
Establishments and for domestic
purposes.
| With the completion of the i'm
,rovement Of the magnificent wa
erways of the country-too long
neglected-the ore and the coal
would be delivered to the manu-
'acturing establishments of the
inland portions of the country at
rates i'm keeping with the charges
" lake from Ashtabula to Du-
nth, and the reason for the neg
oct in waterway improvement has
rot been chargeable to- lack of
appreciation of the Unreasonable
advantages of water transporta-
zion but to the lack Of n definite
md fixed policy on the part of the
general government. The work of
he National Rivers and Harbors
congress has been most effective
n arouslng public sentiment and
public demand in the direction of
Tho establishment of that fixed
md definite policy-and the re-
ults of the work are seen in the
Elimination of the question of wa
erway improvements from poll
les and in the recognition of the
act that the policy advocated
"A Policy; not n Proiect"-has
commended itself in the highest
degree not alone to commercial
md agricultural interests but f.
the Congress of the United States
The approaching session of the
National Rivers and Harbors Con.
,ress, to he held ut Washington
m December Q, 10 and II, will he
If the utmost Importance and il
is urged on all trade and com mer.
'ial organizations, M less than
M States and communities, Ia he
represented Mt the meeting. Wa
terway improvement is an abso.
lutte necessity to the Development
# the United States. 1t can oniy
: he brought to pass by the adop.
tion of fixed and definite plans,
. With adequate appropriaiionsmade
annually and in bringing about
he adoption of that policy the
National Rivers and Harbors Con.
,ress is the greatest possible fac.
tor.
Among the several remedies