The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1909-11-05
Secretary of War Dickinson Speaks at COnUen-
ton of Lakes-tO- Gulf Deep Waterway AssO-
ciGtiOn--PLGn Should Not Be Adopted Until
Confirmed By Expert Opinion HGsty
and UnsOund Conclusions Will Be Dis
credited on Sober Second Thought.

may put as much vim. snap an
spiritual dynanlcs into our proceed
ings as the most vehement languag
can express, but these will be usefu
only II thhey stimulate to careful bed
rock investigation and the formula
tion OF something that will appeal t.
the sound judgment Of the country"
In this connection, Mr. Dickinson
referred 10 a statement made by W
J. Bryan before the convention las
year that in his, Bryans, opinion, the
depth Of the waterway ought to b
twentythree feet
Continuing, Mr. Dickinson said
I'VE have gotten beyond such super
acial treatment as that Of this great
subject II a fourteen-feet depth is
necessary for the development OF our
commerce, if the results will be com.
mensurate with the cost, II the traiiic
win move BY water IN a volume pro-
portionate to the outlay, then those
who are competent 60 demonstrate
should make all this clear TO unpre-
iudleed ana capable judgment II
these things are so, they should be
demonstrable to a reasonable certainty
II a depth Of fourteen feet has no ad-
vantage over that Of nine feet com
mensurate with the difference in the
cost Of construction and maintenance,
and II this Is made reasonably GER
tain, then the people Of the United
States will not undertake such addl-
tlonal useless work. and an enort TO
bring about such legislation will be a
waste of time and merely postpone
securing that which is attainable.
These questions have been con.
sidered by a board of engineers Great.
ed by authority Of congress. Three OF
them are from the army, and two from
civil life. All are experienced n Mis-.
sissippi river problems. It Is said
by experts that IL has been demon.
strated that coal and iron can be car.
r'ed by vessels with profit, at rate
approximately less than one.tenth of
the average rate OF freight per ton
per mile earned by the railways of
this country. provided the vessels are
Of large size. there Is a great volume of
traffic. and the waterways have prac.
tieally unlimited facilities. Coal Is
carried from Plttsburg to New Orleans
by river at less than two dollars per
ton. and sugar has been carried back
At a cost Of two dollars and thirty
cents per ton as against rail rate Of
six dollars II is said that the saving
10 the nation by transportation ON
he Great Lakes was over one hun.
ired millions Of dollars for the wear
't 1906 The Improvements projected
~ the New York canals are based on
he expectation Of reducing freights
m grain 20 two.thIrds Of mill per
on mile.
In considering competition with the
ailfoads Il must be borne II mind
hat il can only be sharply applied as
o freight that originates and ends ON
waterways ANY considerable move. |
aent to or from the water involves a /
erious factor that increases the ex /
ense Ia proportion 10 tae distance
fact that must be dealt with is
hat Notwithstanding the increase of
raliic and Improvement of WATERWAYS
he total river tramc has steadily de.
feased and few rivers are now used
Q anything Ike an approximation Of
heir capacity
The report of the special board of
nglneets makes prlma tatie case
gainst a depth 81 fourteen feet fp
matter Of 50 much moment id would
e uuwise to either accept or reject
until Il has passed under Che most
tltlcal judgment q those competent /
deal with IT, The actual prosecu.
ON Of work SO long maturing 10 the
oint of undertaking can be suspend
q long enough 20 ascertain what Is
raetically best and demonstrate Il
, that It win carry general convc
ON
n determining upon a COURSE OF ac.
on. il IS well to consider that mucs
me may be lost in standing ont now
y the deeper channel. unles the ar
lments preponderate n rs favor. and
$50 that the work recommended 10
le report is Of sufficient magnitude
absorb all appropriations that may
lder the demand in other directions
made for this particular line of
lproyements. and that al og it is
necessary preliminary 10 the con
ruction Of a deeper waterway If de
,lonments shall show that 1t Is
desirable.