Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1909-11-19
THE ONLY MEANS OF RELIEF.

increase in the short space of two
weeks from q shortage of $4,000
reported OH October 7th, with the
certainty of further decrease in
the number of freight cars, Il fact
which shipper and receiver must
face and for the added cost OF
which the entire country must
pay. The fact that the great
railway systems are placing orders
for more cars gives 10 sign OF
present relief, nor does the fact
argue for relief in the future. 1t
is always to be remembered that
the growth of trade and commerce
far outstrips the efforts of the
railways to keep pace with 1t.
To believe otherwise would he to
deny the patent facts of past
growth, so enormous and. so con-
tinuous, as to call from President
Hill the statement that it would
cost the railways of the country
the expenditure of 81, 900, 900, 900
annually for five years to come
up to the demands of trade and
commerce.
1t was frank confession. But
it was a confession which carries
its own refutation with it. While
the railways were engaged in their
expenditures of 81 900, 900, 900 an
nually, the country would be de-
veloping at rate even greater,
and the catching up of the rail-
ways could be accomplished only
OIL the impossible condition that
the trade aud commerce of all
sections of the United States
should remain at a standstill.
There is but one method through
which relief from car shortage can
be had. That method is in the
Improvement of the inland water
ways of the country. With the
inland waterways improved, the
additional facilities demanded by
shippers by rail could be afford
ed. The fact of enormous devel-
opment, and the fact that with
each year the car shortages grow
more serious and more costly and
\ disastrous, are the surest guaran.
tee that there are freight Offering.
amply sufficient in volume to tau
the capacity of both means Of
transportation, and that the re-
lief which shipper and receiver
demand, would enure to the re-
lief of the railway.
4Hctc CuuuOJ, III lne ualuIe vi
things, be hostility in competition
between the river and the rail
Last year the upper Ohio held in
leash for more than six monts
1900, 900 bushels of coal which
the manufacturing interests of the
middle aud lower Ohio needed and
could not have, because of the
continued low water in the Ohio
At Ogden, in Utah, there are now
$4,000 tons of sugar beets await.
ing the time when the, railways
can handle thdm. Because of low
water in the Ohio the 100000
bushels of coal were valueless
So are the $4,000 tons of sugar
beets, with the lack of value ex-
tending to the labor that would
have been employed in the fac
tories if the coal had been re-
ceived or if the sugar beets could
be moved.
Without means of transporta-
ton, production is waste of
time and money. With improve
ment of the waterways production
would be stimulated because of
the certainty of reaching a mark
ct. The proposition is self-evi-
dent, but it cannot be brought
to accomplishment without the
adoption of a settled policy on
the part of the Federal govern
ment, such as the National Rivers
and Harbors Congress advances,
and such as must, eventually, be
adopted by the Congress of the
United States. The coming ses-
sion of the Congress at Washing
ton on December s, 8 and 10, will
outstrip its predecessors in the
fact that it will assemble with the
knowledge that its PLATFORM
"A Policy; not Project" meets