The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-12
WATERWAYS NO
LONGER IN USE
Railways Have Superseded the
Steamboats, for TranSpOr-
tatiOn Purposes.
COSTLY CANALS NOW IDLE
REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF
CORPORATIONS TO PRESIDENT.

Washington. d c., July u.-Lack OF
practical commercial unity in the entire
inland water system OF the United states
Is the prfncipal text of Part I of the re-
port on transportation by water, no" SUI
mitted to the president by HerbeIt Knox
Smith commissioner Of corporations Vi
the department of commerce and laDoi.
The commissioner dtlates IN MS ietter on
transmittal upon the facts that While me
United States has altogether a total ul
about $500 miles Of river Navigation Oh
six feet depth and over, ana more IidH
. 90 miles Of canals, these totals are
broken up into a large number OF unre-
lated parts by reason Of different depths
and different conditions, and that Jle
diverse nature Of the floating equipment
Increases this lack Of organization Many
vessels are built for special traffic or 10
cal conditions, and are thus OFTEN not
interchange ble'' over different, even
though connecting, routes. In general,
the commissioner shows primarily the re-
lation in which the inland waterways
(riVers and Cdnais) stand to the whole
transportation system OF the country
While waterways are subject TO many
limitations. they have nevertheless great
possibilities; they are not now carrying
anything like their proper share OF the
country's traffic This. the commissioned
points out, is broad economic deIect
Of serious disadvantage to the entire bus
fness OF the country and he gives some Of
the reasons for this condition.
Waterways Handieaps.
Through" freight constitutes a great
part Of the country's traffic. A reason
able share of such through freight is es-
sential TO the success of the water sys-
TEN. Inland waterways cannot prosper
generally on merely local traffic But the
water system. unorganiZed and divided
ss il is by diversties of channels and
equipment. Is greatly at a disadvantage
I'm competition with the rail system for
this through traffic For the rail system
of the country is standardized. physically
unified. and its control largely cOntral-
lied. and is thus well adapted to handle
through freight.
The canals of the country illustrate an
extreme case of waterway decline. About
400 miles of canals have been con-
structed. over One-half of this mileage.
costing more than SS10O0O0O. has been
abandoned. and canal traffic excepting
that Of some short ship canals) has stead
fly decreased.
The report also calls attention briefly
10 the very unsatisfactory condition of
water terminals ito be treated more fully
In another part Of the report now in
preparatory, as a matter of the highest
Importance in transportation. Terminal
first requirements, and is entirely posi-
bic.
Example of Europe.
II IS noted that European countries
have in many cases distributed the cost
Of waterway Improvement upon localities
In some ratio with the special benefits
received. while very little of that sort
has been done in this country. The re-
port also sets forth the steady advance Of
steam over sail power, and the tendency
TO corporate ownership of steam ton
mage, especially the larger vessels. In
1866 the average size of vessels owned by
individuals was 113 tons, and by corpora
tons 525 tons. Operating expenses. so far
as obtained, averaged about 50 per cent
Of the gross earnings The lowest ratio
of operating costs was on the bulk cargo
vessels Of the Great lakes. the highest
that of the packet lines on the Mississippi
system and southern rivers.
This report viii be Of great value in
the present movement for an intelligent
and effective Improvement Of the COun-
trys waterways. It points out the pOssf-
bilities of water transportation, the limi-
tatiOns existing thereon, the reasons for
their present inefficienCy. and the lines
along which action toward improvement
can properly be taken. It demonstrates
finally the necessity of dealing with the
waterways under a broad and compre-
hensive plan rather than by localities and
sections.