The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-05-28
John A. Fox, Open Waterways Expo
nent, Addressed Good Audience Last
Night at the Commercial Club and
Awakened Enthusiasm on the Sub
ject---Strong Resolutions Directed to
Congressional Delegation.

everywhere throughout the United
States and is endeavoring through a
campaign of publicity to awaken such
an interest in waterways as will
cause congress to spend at least $780,
100000 annually upon these rivers
for their betterment during the next
ten years. The policy now in vogue
by the national government does not
provide regularly for the improve
ment Of rivers but allows small sums
to be appropriated about every three
years in what is known as a river
and harbor bill. During the last
ten years these appropriations have
averaged about s19,250,00O annual
ly, or only about 2 ~ per cent of the
entire expenditure upon the national
government, when during the same
period several congresses expended
s140, 100000 annually on pensions.
S139, 100000 on the postoffices,
s110. 100000 annually upon the
navy, and $50, 100000 annually upon
our army. In order to raise the
river and harbor appropriation to
parity with these others it is neces-
;zaiy to educate the people all over
he United States and awaken such
sentiment concerning the advantages
to be derived from improvement and
deepening harbors of each. If such
sentiment can be awakened congress
can be induced to devote $500,000,-
600 to it's waterways during the next
ten years That this will pay hand
somely as an investment will be seen
from the following:
''The average cost of now trans
porting freight by rail in the United
States is 7.59 mills per ton, per mile.
while the average cost on the inland
per mile. Although these waterways
are in no way improved so as to OBJ
tain the best results there are as
900 miles of public waterways that
can be improved for 100000 s,
as to pervade every part of the coun-
try itself regulating rates, as well as
affording an opportunity to carry the
bulky parts of the traffic. On the
Ohio river freight is carried for 10
mills per ton, per mile; on the Great
Lakes for 80 mills per ton per mile,
and on the Erie canal for 19 mills
per ton per mile, and If this Colum-
bia river were opened to navigation
even at a cost of 100000, it would
enable the freights of this great In
land Empire to be carried out for at
least .02 mills per ton per mile, and
this under the present railway rate.
would enable the entire amounts to
be saved during the next five years.
Take for instance your wheat crop.
The Inland Empire produced SO, 6,000,-
600 bushels last year, or as much as
the combined production of the states
Iof California and Oregon. II this
wheat could have been carried out
at water rates, of the 2,100 miles
of navigable waterways in the Col
umbia and Snake rivers, at saving
of but 10 cents per bushel, it would
have amounted to $3,000,O00. Take
your fruit products. 1t costs now
from $40 to $25 per ton to ship your
fruit to the eastern market. If this
Columbia river should be opened to
the sea by the time the Panama ca
nal is completed you will be able to
ship your fruits to the New York
markets by water for about IS per
ton, which you can see will be an
enormous advantage to this great
fruit producing area. If all these
waterways could be improved, your
Columbia and Snake, and San Joua-
'quin and Sacramento, the 10000
miles in the valley of the Mississippi,
and the rivers along the Atlantic and
Gulf seaboard, SO that by carrying
freight it will regulate the rail rates