Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1910-10-06
IMPROVEMENT OF wAreAwAvo
WILL pEv.Le? E--couRcEo
o. GvkRY cEcTloN.
FREIGHT CARRIED cHEARLY
Mako Direct Saving In Cost Of Trans.
portation BY che Water Routes, and
Indirectly Serve to Lower Railway
Carrying Ratee.

freight more cheaply than they other.
wise would. making a saving OF hun.
dreds Of millions of dollars year. even
under present conditions. and indicat-
ing vast increase in that saving II all
waterways should be improved. And
then the surprising assertion was
made that the surest way to enlarge
the business and increase the profits
OF the railroads Of the United States
Is to Improve the waterways OF the
United States. The best guide to the
future Is the experience Of the past,
SO let US see what has actually hap
pened to railways when waterways
have been improved.
That the Improvements In the chan.
nels and harbors of the lakes have
been Of great benefit. both to the rail-
ways which parallel their shores and
to those which run from lake cities to
the interior, IL q fact 20 plain that
It needs no argument to support It.
There are no more prosperous and
profitable roads In the country than
those that serve the region tributary
to the lakes. But no one questions
the wisdom Of continuing the improve.
ment of the lakes. or OF our ocean
harbors. The real question is as to
the Improvement Of our rivers. and II
ws wish 70 study the effect Of river
improvement, either on railway reve
nues or national development, We
must 60 to Europe.
Results In Bohemia.
During the fifteen years that i'm.
lprovements were under way on the
Elbe river. In Bohemia, the river traf-
nc. a. natural result Of the better
channel. Increased fvefold. But traf-
DC on the competing railways in,
creased still more largely and the div.
iidends on the main line, from Teplit7
to Aussig. rose to 16 per cent. per
annum.
Similar results followed the canal
zation Of the River Main. from May,
Ience. on the Rhine, to Frankfort
which was finished In the latter part
Of 1856. The river traMc. which
amounted TO only $4,000 tons in that
year. began to grow and has kept on
growing. being 1.273.00o tons in 1902.
There are two railroads between
Frankfort and Mayence. one on each
side Of the river. What happened to
them? Did their business show Sc
rious falling OF? Or were they forced
into the hands Of receiver! On the
contrary their traf1c, which was o11,
900 tons In 1886. also began to grow
and BY 1902 had reached 1,oo9, 900
tons. or more than double what It was
when the railroads had practical
monopoly OF the business Of Frank
fort.
The mere statement Of the in
creased tonnage does not tell the
whole truth Of the matter. for the
tonnage was not only more thar
doubled in quantity. but greatly
raised In grade. 30 that It could pay
land did pay, much higher rate pc,
ton per mile.
Fine German Watsr,says.
Practically all the railways Of Ger
many are state owned and state oper
ated. Out of total Of $4,000 miles
In round numbers, only about 2.50l
miles are operated by private com
panies. Germany also has one of tn,
finest systems of waterways In tn.
world. and study of the balanc.
sheet Of the German railway system
shows that the results which followe,
the Improvement of the River Mail
are not an exception, mere coinci
dence. but are the natural outworkinl
Of principle Of general application
In the calendar year 1907. after paying
for operation. maintenance, repairs
renewals. new equipment. interest OF
bonds. contribution to the sinkin,
fund. and every other item which tn,
most careful bookkeeping required I,
be charged up. the German railway
turned s164,0o0,o00 of absolutely ne
revenues into the treasures Of tn,
various states. This was $1,000 pc
mile Of line operated. while the CORE
spending figure on United States raj
ways for the fiscal year 1907 wa
only $780, little over one-third a
| much.
Much the greater part Of the tota
revenue Of the German states Is d.
rived from their railways. II cents GU
Of every dollar received by Prussia 4
1907 being 30 obtained. Yet German
statesmen keep on, year after yea
spending money earned by their raj
ways in building and improving watel
ways to compete with those same raj
ways. on which they depend as tn
principal source Of national income
In the light Of the facts given abov
It will not do to say that these Gel
man statesmen do not know what the
are about On the>contrary. they ar
acting. a. has been we'll said. Gin ful
therance Of policy the wisdom q
which time and experience have full
confirmed"
Always and everywhere the resul
- the same-the Improvement Of
waterway IL benefit 70 competin
always. For this result, a. for an
.ther. there 10 q good and sumcier
aason. but It must be left for anothe
lms 10 tell what that reason 4.
School Note.
Your choice is mine. w
have the greatest lines of boy
and girls school shoes tina
lever has been shown in thi
city. Made up to look we'll an
; the wearing qualities have n
equal. Call in and look Their
over before buying.
Bert Faith. Mo VALLEY. Il