The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-11-01
that in his. Bryan's, opinion. the depth
Of the waterway ought to be twenty
three foot

Continuing, Mr.. Dickinson said:
I'VE have gotten beyond such super
fetal treatment az that of this great
subject. II a fourteen-feet depth is
necessary for the development of our
commerce. II the result will be COM
mensurate with the cost. if the traffic
will move by water in a volume pro-
portionate to the outlay, then those
who are competent to demonstrate
should make all this clear to unpre-
JUDGED and capable judgment. If
these things are 80. they should be
demonstrable to reasonable GER
tainty. II depth of fourteen feet
has no advantage over that of nine
feet, commensurate with the difference
in the cost of construction and MAIN
tenance. and If this is made reason
ably certain, then the people of the
United States will not undertake such
additional useless work. and an effort
to bring about such legislation will
be waste of time and merely post
pone securing that which is attain
able.
River Rates -
"These questions have been consid-
cred by board of engineers created
by authority of congress. Three of
them are from the army, and two
from civil life. All are experienced
in Mississippi river problems. 1t is
said by experts that 1t has been dem
onstrated that coal and iron can be
carried by vessels with profit, at a
rate approximatelNsIess than one
tenth of the average rate of freight
per ton per mile earned by the rail-
ways of this country. provided the
vessels are of large size, there is a
great volume of traffic, and the water
ways have practically unlimited facili-
ties. Coal is carried from Pittsburg
to New Orleans by river at less than
two dollars per ton, and sugar has
been carried back at cost of two
dollars and thirty cents per ton as
against rail rate of six dollars 1t
is said that the saving to the nation
by transportation on the great lakes
was over one hundred millions of dol
lars for the year of 1906. The i'm
proVements projected by the New
York canals are based on the expec-
tation of reducing freights on grain
to two-thirds Of mill per ton mile.
"In considering competition with
the railroads, it. must be borne in
mind that it can only be sharply ap-
piled as to freight that originates and
ends on waterways. Any considerable
movement to or from the water in
wolves serious factor that increases
the expense in proportion to the dis
tance. A fact that must be dealt with
iS thof Ynkw{th hot v1fnr ;oorooco
of traffic and improvement of water
ways, the total river traffic has stead
lily decreased. and few rivers are now
used to anything like an approxima-
tion of their capacity.
Adverse Report,
''The report of thes, special board
Of engineers makes a prima, facia case
against depth of fourteen feet. In
a matter of so much moment, it would
be unwise to either accept or reject
it until it has passed under the most
critical Judgment. of those competent
to deal with it. The actual prosecl-
ton of a"work SO long maturing to
the point of undertaking can be sus-
pended long enugh to ascertain what
is practically best and demonstrate it
SO that it will carry general c< vic
ton.
I'm determining upon a course of
action. 1t is we'll to consider that much
time may be lost in standing out now
for the deeper channel, unless the
arguments preponderate in its favor,
and also that the work recommended
in the report is of sufficient magni-
tude to absorb all appropriations that
may, under the demand in other direc-
tfons, be made for this particular line
of improvements. and that all of it is
a necessary preliminary to the con-
struction of deeper waterway if
developments shall show that it is
economically desirable.
Il only urge sufficient deliberation
and care. have not sufficiently stud
led the report to justify me in forming
an opinion, and l must say frankly
that my training would not make my
opinion Of any special value"
Mr.. Dickinson said that whether the
problem be to plan or to execute. the
great value of the services of the army
engineers must be recognized, and
that the improvement of rivers and
harbors has been their special prov
inces.
In paying a tribute to their ability,
he mentioned some of the problems
which they have mastered, and re-
ferred to the fact that the construc-
tion of the Panama canal was intrust-
ed to the army engineers. There was,
he said, assurance of it's speedy COM
pletion under a record that will re-
dound to the honor of the whole coun-
try.
In conclusion, he said: "In looking
at any part of this broad land, they
may with justifiable pride say, 'St
requiris monuments. circumspice.
with this estimate of the engineer
corps, 1t is hardly necessary for me to
express the belief that their services
will be invaluable not only in execut-
ing whatever work may be undertake
en-. but in reaching a conclusion as
to what is best, looking to all the
conditions"
VICTIM OF HALLOWEEN FIRE.
Kansas City, Nov. Miss Daley
died today from burns received as the
result of the overturning of a jack
O. lantern at a Halloween entertain