The Tupelo journal., 1910-01-21

they would relieve the railroads or sup
plement them in respect to the bulkier
and cheaper commodities is q matter OF
conjecture. No enterprise ought to be
undertaken the cost Of which is not def
initely ascertained md the benefit and
advantage OF which are not known and
assured by compe tent engineers and other
authority. Wheu. ever. a project OF
a definite characteI .Jr the Improvement
of a waterway has been developed SO
that the plans nave been drawn, the cost
definitely estimated. and the traflc
which will be accommodated Is reason
ably probable I think 1t is the duty OF
congress to undertake the project n
make provision therefor in the proper APP
preparation bill.
One of the projects which answers the
description / have given is that of intro
ducing dams into the Ohio river from
Pittsburg 10 Cairo, so as to maintain at
all seasons of the year. by slack water,
a depth of nine feet. Upward OF seven
Of these dams nave already been con-
structed and six are under construction,
while the total required is SO. The re-
naming cost is known to be $63,0O0,0O0.
1t seems to me that in the development
Of our inland waterways 1t would be
wise to begin with this particular project
and carry 1t through as rapidly as may
be. / assume from reliable information
that it can be constructed economically
in ten years. / recommend, therefore.
that the public lands. in river and har-
Dor bills, make provision for continuing
contracts to complete this Improvement,
and l shall recommend in the future, II
1t be necessary, that bonds be issued TO
carry IL through.
What has been said of the Ohio river
is true in a less complete way of the i'm
provement of the upper mississippi from
st. Paul to ST. Louis to a constant depth
Of six feet, and of the Missouri, from
Kansas City to st. Louis to a constant
depth of six feet and from st. Louis to
Cairo of a depth of eight feet. These
projects have been pronounced practical
by competent boards of army engineers,
their cost has been estimated and there
is business which will follow the inn
provement.
AS these improvements are being made.
and the traffic encouraged by them shows
itself of sufficient Importance. the i'm
provement of the Mississippi beyond
Cairo down to the gulf. which is now
going on with the maintenance of a depth
of nine feet everywhere. may be changed
to another and greater depth If the neces-
sity for it shall appear to arise out of the
traffic which can be delivered on the river
at Cairo.
Cheap Rail Rate Necessary.
l am informed that the investigation
by the waterways commission In Europe
shows that the existence of a waterway
by no means assures traffic unless there
is traffic adapted to water carriage at
cheap rates at one end or the other Of
the stream. 1t also appears in Europe
that the depth of the streams is rarely
more than six feet. and never more than
nine. But it is certain that enormous
quantities of merchandise are transported
over the rivers and canals in Germany
and France and England. and it is also
certain that the existence of such meth
DDS of traffic materially affects the rates
which the railroads charge, and it Is the
best regulator of those rates that we
have. not even excepting the govern
mental regulation through the interstate
commerce commission. For this reason,
I nope that this congress will take such
rator of the new system of inland water
ways. For reasons which 1t is not nee
essary here to state, congress has seen
fit to order an investigation into the in
terror department and the forest service
of the agricultural department. The re-
suits of that investigation are not needed
to determine the value of, and the ne
cessity for. the new legislation which /
ave recommended in respect to the pub
lie lands and in respect TO reclamation. I
earnestly urge that the measures be a k
Ell up and disposed of promptly without
awaiting the investigation which has been
determined upon.
WILLIAM n. TAFT.