The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1909-05-07
Ry Assoc lated Press

| people. perhaps realize that the traffic
movement on the lower Mississippi
/ river. once So tremendous. has SO ma.
,erlally declined IN recent years. that
tine supremacy once enjoyed by that
| great stream has been transferred TO
the Ohio river and that. therefore.
| rittsburg rather than either st. Louis
| cr New Orleans. Is today the most inn
portant river point In America.
4 These and other interesting facts
ere CLEANED from the Appendix to
rhe preliminary report 81 the Inland
Waterways Comissiou. The report it.
self was made public recently, but the
Appendix" which has Just come OF
the government printing Office presses
was made public today The greater
portion Of the data contained IN 1t was
prepared under the direction Of Her.
bert Knox Smith. commissioner OF the
bureau Of corporations
Il Is shown that the lower slissis-
sippi which always has been recognize.
I'd as Of greater commercial import.
anee than the upper part still retains
factors IN the decline Of traffic on the
lower Mississippi may be mentioned
that formerly large quantities Of
wheat. corn. and oats were sent down
the river from st. Louis and other
points to New Orleans. but the build.
Ing Of railroads through Nebraska.
Kansas and Oklahoma to the gulf 10.
gether with the lack OF attention to
river Improvements, has operated
against the shipment 81 grain down
the Mississippi
This has resulted III the gradual
disappearance Ia the last ffteen years
of many finely equipped steamboats,
On the lower Mississippi as result
cf sharp railroad competition ard
other causes
Another important cause for this /
decline Ia the trafHc movement On
that great stream has been the III.
PRODUCTION Of the cotton compress re-
sultlng IN the oyerturning Or the old
system of handling cotton by river
Formerly the only cotton congresses
were located al important centers.
such AZ Memphis Vicksburg and New
hut nov any town 81 slight
Importance has IFS own compress
which have excellent facilities fo- re-
seiving and shipping bales II cotton
oy rail.
The report declares fhat the de-
selopment of river traffic Is hlndered
u many ways BY the railroads who at
ione important points on the Ohio |
liver have gained control of much 81
he available land Cor terminal facil.
les. One Of The serious difficulties
Or lines operating on the Ohio and its
tributaries Is the matter Of excessive
ghsrfage charges. The packet lines
0harge that Il Il common practice
or little towns along the river to
eyy charges which in some Instances
un from one fourth to onethird of
he net profits Of the boats. Boat
ines, as 8 rule. make lower rates
han those Of rail carriers. The loss I,
i pro-ratlng arrangements with the
ailroads added difficulty for the river T.
mes. for instead 81 being able to
luote through rates, the packet lines
must now quote their own rate 10
he point where they conect with the
ailroad aud then add the local sarln
ate Of the railroad from that point
o destination This loss Of pr0-rating
arrangements. has seriously affected
he packet lines and asa particularly
uined the traffic q berBe.saoes. cot
on ties bar iron. wire nalhN staples
&c. IN shipments % the south and
vest where formerly the river freight .
.as heavy
A significant feature of the report
+ that dealing with railroad control
j. river traffic and private canals A
lumber Of packet lines engaged ii
BUSINESS on the Mississippi and lts
tributaries are mentioned as show
ng traces ot railroad influences
several private canals are also men
Toned as being dominated by railroad !,
Influences
IN this connection the report strlk
ngly shows the extent to which state
nd private canals have been abau.
oned the total mileage abandoned
0 date being 2,4i4.2G miles. represent.
ng a cost approximated at gStt7i..
a. Among the more important
auses for this wholesale abandon
aent Of canals are the inability Of .
ome canals to compete with modern
abroad rates and the mismanaee
aent Of other canals. together with /
popular impression that such sys.
ems Of public works have done more