Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-07-12
POINTS OUT NEEDS
Of 0UNTRY'S
WATERWAYS
VALUABLE RESOURCE
NOW LYING DORMANT
Condition Of Rivers and Canals
Coutrasted With That Of
Europe as Showing Vast
Possibilities Here.
ny Morning journal special LEASED wir.i

my Morning journal special Leased wirsi
Washington, y. G.. July - Lack OF
practical and commercial unity in th,
entire inland Uator system Of the emit
ed states is the principal text of Part
] OF the report on transportation by
water. now suomItlcd to tho president
by Herbert Knox smith. eommisstonor
Of corporations OF the department o'
commerce HHd labor The commission
o. dilatee in his letter OF transmitted
upon the facts that While the United
states has altogether q total of about
6.S00 miles OF river navigation Of six
feet depth and over. ana more than
600 miles Of canals. these totals AFRO
broken mp INTO a large number Of am
related parts by reason OF different
depths aud different conditions and
that the diverse nnture OF the floating
equipment incroases this lack OF or
ganlzation. Many vessels are built for
special traffic or local conditions, and
ere thus often not interchangeable
over different, even though connecting
routes In general, the commissions
shows primarily the relation In which
The inland waterways Drivers and ca
nalsD stand 10 the whole ttausporta-
ton system Of the country. While WA
terways are subject to many limitH
ions. they have nevertheless great poF-
aiiiilltics; they are not now carrying
anything like their proper share of the
country's traffic This, the commits
sioncr points out, IS q broad economic
defect of serious disadvantage to the
entire business Of the country. and he
gives some Of the reasons for this CON
dition
Through" freight constitutes -
great part Of the country's traffic. AL
reasonable share u such through
freight IL essential I othe success OF
The water system. Inland waterways
cannot prosper generally on merely
local traffic But the water system,
-unorganized and divided ns 1t IS by
diverFlties OF channels and equipment,
~ greatly al a disadvantage in eempe. |
tiiion with the rail system for this
through traffic For the rail system Of
the country Is standardized. physical
~ unified, and it's control largely CEN
tralized, and is thu well adapted to
handle through freight.
The ennais Of the country illustrate
IN extreme ease Of waterway decline
About 1000 miles Of cnnals have been
constructed. over one-half or THE
mileage, costing more than $50, 600 600
has been abandoned. and canal traf-
nc excepting that Of some short ship
canals )has steadily decreased.
The report also calls attention hrief-
~ 60 the very unsatisfactory condi-
ton Of water terminals Cto be treat
ed more fully Ia another part Of the
report, now in preparation. q mat
ter 81 the highest importance la trans
portatiun Terminal improvement on
Waterways Is one OF the first require
mrnts and Is entirely possible
II h noted that European countrios
have ia many cases distributed the
cost Of waterway Improvement upon
localities ia some ratio with the special
benefits received. while very littlc at
that sort has been done IA this eoun
try, The report also sets forth thel
steady advance of steam over SAL uu-
wcf. aud the tendency toward corpor-
ownetship OF steam tonnage espc
cihlly the larger vessels In 1905 the
average size OF vessels owned 10y IDS
Niduals was 112 ons ana 10y corpora
500 tons. Operating expense
$50 far as obtained lowest ratio of
upcmting costs was on the bulk cargo
vessels or the Great Lakes, the high
hat of the packet lines ON Ia,
u siesippi system and southern r1voi
This report viii be of great value In
the present movement FOR an |intoli-
acnt and effective Improvement ot the
.ouutry's waterways II points out the
possibilities OF water transportation
limitations existing thereon, the
reasons for their present incfticicncN
and the lines along which action
Improvement can properly
b, taken II demonstrates iI
the necessity pf dealing Win thc .
aterwaNs under a broad and com ,
hcusivr plan rather than hy local
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