The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16
BURTON HAS HOPE
OHIO SENATOR TALKS OF WATER
 WAYS.
Believes That Next Congress VIII Pass Legislation to Improve Streams and Harbors of the
 Country.

Washington. Aug. 15.-(Special)- ''The immediate need in the develop | ment of the nations waterways" said I Senator Burton of Ohio on the eve of setting out for Europe to study trans portation on that side of the Atlantic, 'fs legislation that will enforce a pol I icy of live and let live as between the l railroads and the waterways. The fact that this nation carries no great CT part of its freight by water is not primarily due to a lack of development of the streams. It Is due to a domina ton on the part of the railroads. Take, for instance, the Mississippi between St. Louis and the mouth of the Ohio. This government has spent more money on that section of that one river than has Germany upon the Rhine. Yet the German stream hauis q hundred times as much freight as goes up and down this section of the Mississippi Now there Is no fuffGa- mental reason why Americans will not use their waterways for -transporta- ton purposes They do not do so, be- cause they have been prevented from doing so."
 Senator Burton went on to explain that it was not the part of sound bus mess judgment, under present condi- tions, for any individual or corporation to spend the money necessary to enter the transportation business on any of our streams. There are many points where this could be done and good profits received at the rates that are now being paid for transportation from point to point. It would be, profitable 10 spend millions in the Building of steam boatA to carry that freight if the builders had any assurance that the present. rates would maintain or if they knew that any approximate rate would be maintained. They might build these boats if they were assured that railroads would not haul freight at loss. But they have no such as- surance. It would in\ all probability develop that when thefr vessels were in operation the railroads -would cut the rates on what the boats hauled to, such e figure that they would assur- adly be starved out. It is good busi- ness on the part of the railroads to kill water transportation in It's infan- cy and this they have systematically done up to the present time.
 Mir. Burton's position Is that the na- ton suffers because of this suppress sion of water traffic. He holds4 that the suppression of the water traffic could be prevented if Congress, know ing all the facts, should place rates between given points below which the TallfOaQS were not alLOWGu 10 cut IHelr rates. Germany has done this and de- veloped the two systems side by side. The traffic on the railways has not suffered and the country has greatly benefited.
 lis there any likelihood of Congress taking any action in this direction?"' Senator Burton was asked.
 There is every assurance of some such action on the part of Congress" he replied. q can't say that it will come next session. It is the vital in itiative measure ip the whole matter and 1t will come"
 These statements made by Senator Burton. the Chairman of the Joint Wa terways Commission of Congress, and former Chairman of the House Com mittee on Rivers and Harbors. is talk en as indicative of the spirit of Con- gress and as promising action that will aid waterways development in the i1l- mediate future.
 Mir. Burton Is listened to above all other men by his associatiates in Con Sress with relation to waterways It is the report that he and his associates of the Joint Commission will bring in next fall that will be the basis of the Congressional view point in the coming session. His statement upon leaving for the continent may be taken as an indication of the tenor that report will take,