The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-08-31
BROAD WATERWAY
POLICY NEEDED

n-nn~m~~mw~
Washington. d. c.. Aug. s1.--since
the passage OF the tariff bill q trem-
endous quickening OF interest in ma
tionai needs is noticed and this inter-
est Is not likely to wane as time passes.
Already there is noticeable changes
going on throughout the country on the
subject OF improving the inland waters
OF the United States and the utterances
OF those great railway kings. Hartman \.
HhL Yoakum and others. who state
that the railroads cannot transnort
more than so per cent Of the freIrht
at the time 1t should be carried. has
emphasized the needs for a broad ana
comprehensive waterway policy on the
part Of the federal government. 70 the
END that the great natural thorough
LaFes OF the country may be made to
40 their share Of transportation.
A much greater interest is being
shown by senators and Representatives
In congress than ever before in the
subject OF waterways and their i'm
provement. Congressman Henry n.
Rainey of the Twentieth Illinois dis
trict, is among the leaders OF the houne
70 unreservedly favor a bond issue OF
lfoeral proportion to carry on the work
OF improving the inland waters and
canals OF continental United States,
one OF the cardinal planks In the plat
FORM OF the National Rivers and Har-
DORIS congress, whose sixth annual con-
vention in Washington next December.
gives promise OF being the biggest
waterway convention ever held.
he waterways Of the country" said
Mr.. Rainey today, have fallen into
disuse for two reasons: First. the rail-
roads have been increasing their capac-
ity, building larger engines. BUILDING
larger cars. laying heavier rails. and
double-tracking their lines until now
the limit OF development seems to have
been reached. Nothing has been done
Tor the waterways while this remark
able railway development has been In
progress. Rivers have not been dredR-
ed to any considerable extent, the banks
or streams have not been regularized
and as yet no. comprehensive system
OF waterway development has been en-
tered upon. In the second place, rail-
ways paralleling rivers and reaching
cities along our rivers have pursued the
policy Of making cheaper rates to river
points, rates often as cheap or cheaper
than river steamers of the present
capacity can make. Railways have
been carrying freight to river points at
a lost in order to destroy river traffic,
and have been compelling inland towns
and cities to pay higher freight rates
than they ought to pay in order to
make up the loss. There has been for
half q century fight OF the railroads
against the rivers, with no organization
until a comparatively recent period.
lighting for the rivers.
There is only one way to meet the
situation and to restore to railroads
the competition they ought to have,
and that Is by improving our rivers,
connecting them where necessary with
artificial canals, depending upon the
electric lines reaching our rivers and
extending out now into the interior of
the country to furnish In connection
with the improved rivers, the competi-
ton which a gigantic railway combi-
nation must have. Improve our rivers
and you will have furnished to every
man great free national highway up
on which he can launch his boat and
carry his goods, free Of all charge, to
the ocean highways of the world.
"The building Of the Panama canal
meets with the approval of the country,
and yet 1t will fail to accomplish the
results for which 1t is intended unless
we improve the $4,000 miles OF navi-
gable rivers lying within our noun
tain ranges; unless we improve rivers
and harbors between our mountain
ranges and the seas In order to enable
freights to be transported cheaply from
the interior to the worlds ocean high
ways. The time, 1t seems to me, is
here when the country would approve
a bond issue Of large size for the pur-
pose OF improving rivers on a compre-
hensive basis. The development OF the
country now depends upon IL.
by a majority OF nearly 100000
votes the state of Illinois has declared
itself for this proposition, and has
voted in favor of bond issue OF
twenty million dollars in aid of the
lakes-to-thegulf deep waterway. The
state of New York has voted one
hundred and one million dollars in
bonds to deepen the Erie canal. The
waterway from the lakes to the gulf
is an Interstate waterway. The Ohio
river is an interstate waterway. The
Missouri, the Tennessee and the Ar
kansas rivers are all great interstate
waterways. The Atlantic coast deep
waterway Is an interstate scheme. Illi-
nois and New York have done their
part towards creating efficient water
ways within their boundaries connect
ing our interior lakes with the sea.
The time has come for the national
government to issue bonds for the ptir-
pose Of carrying on the great work of
river Improvement and canal building
upon which the future prosperity OF
the country depends"