Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1910-09-09
MEAN LOWER RATES
EFFECT OF WATERWAY COMPETE
TON ON THE RAILWAYS OF
THE COUNTRY.
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SAVING
Conservative Estimate 10 That In
Single Year Il Wouid Be Hors Than
Enough to Discharge the Entire Ma
ticnzl DEBT

tionzl DEBT
l. vas stated n previous article
that waterways produce both direct
and Indirect savings in The cost OF
traHsp ortation and also exert what
may lie called a creative effect A
an instance Of the direct saving it
vas shown that the 100 COO coo tors OF
freight handled on the great lakes
iu 1907 were carried for $3.50. 100000
less than Il would have cost By rail
II the opinion OF the United States
army engineers Is correct-and this
opinion IS based upon results actually
achieved on the rivers Of Europe
~ have number Of rivers on which,
when properly improved. freight can
be carried for less than on the lakes
and many rivers on which II can %
carried for much less than by rail-
H. therefore. the plan advocated oJ
the National Rivers and Harbors
congress should be carried out-Nniea
includes the improvement Of all cur
rivers to such extent as shall be found
advisable after expert exzminauon-
the direct saving in cost Of usnsporta-
ton would be vastly Increased X
would probably be increased tenfold,
tut IL il we're only doubled the direct
saving in z single year would be more
than enough 20 pay or the national
debt
But this Is not the end OF the 5ene-
fits which the general improvement OF
Is = -
the beginning Beside the direct saw
ing there is an Indirect saving which
results from the effect OF waterways
On railway freight rates. for rates
are always lower on railroads "nicn
meet water composition than on those
which do not The amount OF this say
ing Is not everywhere the same, OWING
20 difference in conditions, but -
can get q good general idea Of il from
a study Of some sample instances
Freight Rates Affected
Freight rates from New York TO
salt Lake or Spokane are much hisn-
~ than TO san Francisco OF Seattle
although The distance Is much less, De-
cause goods can be carried 10 the Pa
ci6c coast BY water. around Cape
Horn. while there Is no waterway OF
apv kind 20 the inland cities named
II Is not the ocean alone that Affects
railroad rates Compare ms rates On
first class merchandise TO river towns
and inland towns situated about 90
miles from St Louis Towns OF the
vpDer Mississippi get q rate OF 81
cents = hundred. inland towns pay -
cents towns on the Ohio pay Al cents.
inland towns in the same regisa
pay 81.
A still more striking instances. and
enc showing the direct result o. "a
rer~sy Improvement, Is 10 De fosina
On the Columbia river Before me
locks n the CASCADES we're eeait
freight rates on ssils. ssd that class
az goods from Portland 10 Tie Daaies
we're $40 per tes- As sooH ss ths
locks we're fnisAed and The steam
bostr could get through. tae raitrsAe
rate dropped 10 tive 1ellars per sss-
less thzn eH.s8irs rhas Il vas sscars
That n. aifsrenee rAs due 10 me
river improvement is skew. ~ Ia
fact that rates we're not reduced
vond the ueirt 10 which the sfsAeA-
boats could ras- For iasszaes, the
rate on salt in car load lots pss Fss
p-r ton 10 The Dzlles. and ts-e pr
ron 10 UrxtiliS-sl- 50 per ter fsr ne
ss miles With water competition AA4
ss70 per ton for the next 100 sssisa
without. These rates have since 5e-s
reduced as the improvement hl PRIV
r-eded and when the work Is saisa~a
and boats can run far Up fhe cotusH-
his river and 10 Lc~xtOn and other
Doinr IL Idaho on its principal tripa-
-arr the snake river. th- people Ia
all that r.rien viii benefit hot on1
by the direct saving on goods carried
BY water. but also by the Indirect s<'
ing through the reduced rste on sosds
carried BY rail Exactly similar 70
suits would follow the radical In
movement Of rivers all over The United
States.
Indirect Saving Large
Their is. however no possible way
O. -ndir= out jus- now much this IL
direct saving would De Rates on sons
freight would Dc Fe1ucrd sfc~t'f- ~
some freight slightly on some. per
hans. not a. all BUT We can gel some
idea OF the amount OF freight when
mishr be Influenced IA The fiscal
year ending June 80, 1897. the total
amount 81 freight handled by me
railroads Of the United States vas
!. 80. sss. s5s tons. some Of this ~=s
hauled a short distance some long
distance. ana some Vas handled D.
more than one road. but il Vas equal
10 ss6.6ul $50. loS tons hauiee one
mile. II the comprehensive improve
meni OF cur waterways should make
an average reduction Of one NIL per
ton-miie-rhe difference II The rates
on salt given above is . times IS
much. 81 seven cents per ton miie-st
would make a saving Of over s-sesT".-
zoe on he value cf business handed