Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-06-29
The RIVERS HAVE
LOST COMMERCE
ECONOMIC LAWS CAUSE OF
shRiNkAGE IN TRAFFIC GOV
EMINENT ENGINEERS SAY.
(By John Callan O'Laughlin in the
Chicago Tribune.l

(By John Callan o'Laughlin in the
Chicago Tribune.)
Washington, D. c., June rs. The
people Of the middle west have good
reason to be alarmed over the future
commerce of the great Mississippi
river system if the conclusions of the
board of engineers which opposes the
construction Of the fourteen foot wat
arways between the lake and the gulf
ire 1ustifable.
Congress has received another
chapter of the report of the board
This time in relation to the present
and prospective commerce of the re-
yion lying between Chicago and the
gulf. and 1t is decidedly discouraging
30 far as water transportation is con-
rerned.
THE past decrease of commerce.
the report states, land the present
lack of increase of commerce on these
rivers is not due TO lack of depth in
the Mississippi SO much as 1t is due
10 the conflicting interests of land and
water transportation. and to laws gov
erning the movements of raw prod
ncts toward the centers of consump-
lion, combined perhaps, with lack of
development in steamboat construc-
tion and driving power.
Question Of Supply and Demand.
mo river improvement can be ex-
pected to send either grain, or coal.
pr iron. or manufactured products
from the places where their value is
high to other places where values are
lower At the present time the aues-
lion is one almost entirely of demand
and supply.
NO great development of boat com
merce can be expected until it is evil
dent that the goods can be moved
hom the place where they can be
bought at low prices to place where
they can be sold at higher prices SO
that the freight charges can be paid
out of the profits of sales.
"The present lack of development
Of commerce on the Mississippi is
properly due to economic laws govern
ing the natural lines of travel of raw
materials and manufactured products,
and to the existing conflict of inter
ssts between steamboats, and rail
roads,
4
extent Of water transportation over
the waterways of the United States
and the mississippi valley, and its
marked decadence in recent years, has
been matter of great surprise to
many American engineers as we'll as
10 engineers in Europe. The mileage
Of the navigable waterways Of the Mis-
sissippi basin. including its canals,
snd depth and width of navigable
channels therein. is great, even in
comparison with those of the inland
waterways of Europe. and river facil.
tiles, so far as the nayigable channel
was concerned. were good years ago
and have been much increased and
improved in recent years.
Haul Long for Population Served,
In special cases, such as lumber on
the upper mississippi. and coal on the
Ohio. the individual load carried or
owed by single boats is larger than
n Europe. but the length of the river
haul Is long for the unit of population
served Except at New Orleans the
locking facilities are slight. sometimes
nothing more than sloping bank
and are always expensive, and save at
.
including arrangements for transfer
% rail connections, are almost entire
y lacking. Freight rates by water
are. therefore. high in the Mississippi
valley as compared with rates by raj
between the same terminals.
The Mississippi river. including it's
tributaries, drains about half the Unit
I'd States. and has a total of about
$4,000 miles susceptible of navigation
The report repeats what every one
Knows. that it Is not many years since
this river was noted for its large
steamboat commerce, large in proper
ton to the commerce of the entire
country. and it in fact was great
highway for not only freight. but pas
sepgers passing into and through the
middle west.
River Improvement Marked
For many years, however the re
port continues, "the water commerce
81 the entire country has been as rap
Idly decreasing. so that today its wa
Ter supremacy is gone and this condi
ion of affairs is well known not onl,
10 the Mississippi valley but to The
United States in general, who arc
WHY thS JlNtl ID 1lui IloIt
utilized and how it can be made more
useful.
But it is also well known to the en-
cheering public of the country tina
The present water conditions of III
Mississippi valley are many time
better than in the days of its creates
commerce: the river from st. Paul t,
deep water above New Orleans hav
ing now a Davigable depth nesrl
vice az great everywhere as in for
ner days. and its obstruction b
snags and wrecks being at present s
slight as to be rarely mentioned TIL
marked diminution of commerce unde
such circumstances cannot be due t
questions OF navigation and riyer Ell