The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1909-07-23
WATERWAYS NEED R. R. AID
SECTION OF GOVERNMENTS RE.
PORT ISSUED.
Herbert Knox Smith Declares Co-Oper.
alton Essential to Growth Of
Traffic.

seems absolutely necessary to insure
a reasonable and efficient use of the
inland water courses of this country
This conclusion is reached in the
report of Herbert Knox Smith, COM
missioner Of corporations, in Part II
of his discussion of the subject of
Transportation by Water" which his
bureau has been investigating for
many months.
The second part of the report is
transmitted to President Taft. 1t
deals with tariff by water, and por-
tions of it are particularly suggestive
and significant
1t is pointed out by Commissioner
Smith that "it is a public evil that
the entire transportation system of
the United States should be, as now,
at odds with itself through destruc-
tive competition, while the transpor-
tation needs of the public suffer"
Traffic in ITSELF" the report con-
tinues, lis necessity for the proper
development of waterway. State
and federal work must be supplement-
ed by private initiative, especially in
terminals and equipment, and private
initiative will come in only when
there is reasonable chance of enough
traffic to make it profitable One of
the great questions, therefore, is the
question of how to secure for the in
land rivers and canals reasonable
share of the country's traffic"
Practical Results Outlined.
In the body of the report, Commits
sioner Smith points out the predomi-
nance of bulk traffic by water, and
the reasons therefor. Then he out
lines the practical results to be OBJ
tanned from thorough system of
| waterways. The entire transporta-
tion system of the country is divided
| into three great classes:
l) Rail.
and the Great Lakes.
90 Rivers and canals.
An enormous increase has been
| shown in the rail traffic. There also
had been an increase in the coastwise
traffic. On the other hand, the river
and canal traffic shows marked de-
crease. Discussing the situation,
Commissioner Smith, in his report,
says:
THE great mass of the coast and
Great Lake traffic is bulk. The enor-
nous development of the Great Lake
business is largely due to the vast
ore and grain trade moving westward.
About 45,0OO,OOO tons of ore were
| transported in 1907, eastward, and
about 100000 tons of coal We're
moved westward in 1906. Those
great freights. being all bulk, and of
uniform character, received and de-
| livered at a few central ports, have
produced there a very highly organ
ICED system of transportation and ter
minals, and consequent low transpor.
tation cost.
Rivers and Canals Lose.
"The river and canal system, on
the other hand, has been losing stead
| lily. The New York canals and the
Mississippi river system illustrate
this. Up to 1856 the traffic on the
New York canals was more than
twice that of the railroads crossing
New York state. 1t is now less than
3 per cent of that total. The situa-
tion on the Mississippi is illustrated
in the traffic history of St. Louis.
River shipments there in 1890 were
over 100000 tons; in 1906, $4,000.
Rail shipments, on the other hand, in
creased from 100000 tons in 1890
to 100000 tons in 1906.
"The coal traffic down stream from
the vicinity of Pittsburg, over 56 per
cent of the entire vessel traffic on the
Mississippi system, is the one strik-
ing exception to the general decline
on that system. It's success is due to
the great deposits of coal practically
on the banks, and corresponding
demand for it along the river. But
even this traf1c is practically con-
fined to the banks Of the river. and
goes neither inland nor along the
gulf coast for any considerable dis
tance.
"The situation of water transporta-
tion in the Mississippi valley is sig
nificant and serious. 1t shows best
both the limitations and possibilities
involved in the present waterway
problem. There is no lack of freight
in that valley, and there has been
| at times extreme traffice congestion
there. and yet the river is getting
only an Insignificant and decreasing
share of that traffic
1T is true that physical conditions,
such as extreme changes in water
level and enormous deposits of sedi-
ment, affect transportation seriously.
But probably more serious is the COM
petition of the parallel railroads. The
situation there justifies the general
conclusion of the report that rail
competition is one of the most i'm.
| portant factors in water traffic"
MlRoN w. SKINNER DEAD.
Twice Mayor Of Northfieid and Last