The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-02-27

WASHINGTON, d. C., Feb. 70
transmit herewith Prcliminar
Report from the Inland Waterway
Commission, which was appointed b.
me last March in response to a wide
spread interest and demand from tn
people. The basis OF this demand Ia,
in the general and admitted inabilit.
of the railroads to handle prompt,
the traffic Of the country. and cspeei
ally the crops OF the previous Fall.
This report is well worth your at
tention. II is thorough, conservative
sane, and just. 1t represents the ma
ture judgment Of body OF men ex.
ceptionally qualified, by personal ex.
perience and knowledge Of conditions
throughout the United States, 10 un.
derstand and discuss the great prob
lem OF how best to use our waterways
in the interest OF all the people. I'm
usual care has been taken to secure
accuracy and balance OF statement.
If the report errs at all it is by over
conservatism. II contains findings or
statements of fact, a number OF spec
ific recommendations, and an account
of inquiries still in progress. and it
is based in part on statistics and
other information contained in vol
luminous appendix. The subject with
which it deals is OF critical importance
both to the present and the future OF
our country,
Our river systems are better adopt
ed to the needs OF the people than
those OF any other country. In ex-
tent, distribution. navigability, and
ease OF use, they stand first. Yet the
rivers OF no other civilized country
are so poorly developed, so little used,
or play so small part in the indus
rial life OF the nation as those Of the
United States. In view OF the use
made OF rivers elsewhere, the failure
10 use our own is astonishing, and no
man can believe that il
will last. The accompanying report
indicates clearly the reasons for Jit
and the way to end it.
The Commission finds that it was
railroad competition
which prevented or destroyed the de-
OF commerce on our inland
waterways. The Mississippi, our
greatest natural highway, is case in
point. At one time the traffic upon
/ was without a rival in any country
The report shows that commerce was
iriven from the Mississippi by the
always, with their convenient ter
ninals gave quicker and more salts
actory service than the waterways.
Later they prevented the restoration
IF river traffic by keeping down their
ates along the rivers, recouping them
selves by higher charges elsewhere.
They also acquired water fronts and
criminals to an extent which
made water competition impossible.
the country the railways
rave secured such control OF canals
md steamboat lines that today in
and waterway transportation is
argely in their hands. This was nat
iral and doubtless inevitable under
he circumstances but it should not
,e allowed to continue unless under
,areful Government regulation.
Comparatively little inland freight
5 carried by boat which is not carried
part OF its journey by rail also. As
he report shows, the successful de-
and use Of our interstate
waterways will require intelligent
equation Of the relation between rail
md water traffic. When this is done
he railways and waterways will as
list instead of injuring each other.
Both will benefit, but the chief bene-
it will accrue to the people in general
through quicker and cheaper trans
The report rests throughout on the
fundamental conception that every
waterway should be made ia serve
he people as largely and in as many
lifferent ways as possible. 1t is poor
business to develope river for navi-
ration in such way as to prevent its
lse for power, when by little fore
light it could be made to serve both
purposes. We can not afford need
essly to sacrifice power to irrigation,
,r irrigation to domestic water sup
'ly, when by taking thought we may
lave all three. Every stream should