The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-06-21
STIMULUS IS. GIVEN
TO SCHEME
LAKES O-THE- GULF DEEP WA
TERWAY PROJECT RECEIVES
NOT BE MANNlSH.

Chicago, June Efforts sor the
lakes to- the gulf deep waterway We're
given great stimulus by the failure OF
the army engineers to report to con
greSs that the deep channel was i'm
practical, as had been feared because
of the known prejudices of the mill
tary engineers. With the matter of
cost estimated at s15s,0oO,0O0, the only
great bugbear in the official records.
active efforts will be renewed bv deep
waterway organizations to get con-
gressional action to enable the grea
task to begin
ut will be a magnificent investment
Tor the country said e. S. CONWAY.
chairman OF the deep waterway COM
lnittee of the Chicago Association of
Commerce and the first president Of
the Lakes-to the Gulf Deep Water
way association. nThe only trouble is
that the public seems to fear a direct
tax. The amount the engineers de-
clare will be needed to construct the
ship canal seems large when the
thought of direct taxation comes into
a persons mind, but if the people of
America stopped to think that $3.50.
100000 were paid to railroads as an
indirect tax each year, the United
States would realize how beneficial the
canal would be.
Nov, when the canal is finished,
the waterway will handle more traffic
than 40 railroads possibly can, and at
a much cheaper rate, and the federal
engineers say the annual cost will not
amount to over S7000,O0O
Why, the cost is practically MOTH
ing--only $12s,Ooo,O 900. Now, we have
230, GOO miles of railroads in the United
States for which the public has paid in
indirect taxes for the annual nainten-
ance $1,000 a mile, or $3.50, 1000 900.
Every cent paid out by the railroads
to better their equipment and right of
way Is paid for by the people of
America in the higher cost of food
and other necessities. The Pennsyl-
vania railroad spent 5000 1000 during
the past four years in improving it's
roadbed between Chicago and New
York, and during the same period of
time the Hartman lines have ex-
pended $300,0o0.0OO for improvements.
Now, can any one complain about a
national expenditure of only $12S, O0O,-
100, which will give the greatest inland
waterway system in the worldo
Chief Engineer Marshall says the
ANAL will not prove profitable. Now,
What does an engineer@saknow about
or commercial prob
ems? Do not business men and
rattle managers of big Corporations
md mercantile. houses know more
lbout the advantage to Bbe derived by
| new system of Transportation than
IN engineer whose only training is in
work. {t@ it
Business men and traffic managers
re Interested in the construction of
he deep waterway, and all assert thati
he building of such a canal wiI be
t great benefit to the people of the
ountry, and especially to the people
t the states bordering on the Mis-
issippi river.'
congressman from the mississippi
alley, those taking a leading part in1
he projected deep waterway from the
axes to the gulf, are willing to abide
y TIE recommendations of the engi-
GERS upon engineering problems, but
lsist that congress must determine
ne commercial feasibility Of waterway
improvements. They predict that con-
ress at the next session will make an
to commence work on
lie l4-foot channel.
The report in the finding that the
roiect is practicable is what I have
ipected,' said Senator William Lori
er, who has been the foremost of adj
coates of the deep Waterway 'In
y opinion the commercial Importance i
the proposed deep channel will
arrant congress expanding upon it