The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-11-18
mean Lower RATES
EFFECT OF WATERWAY coMPETL
TON ON THE RAILWAYS OF
THE COUNTRY.
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SAVING

Conservative Estimate 10 That In
Single Year It Would Be More Tina
Enough to Discharge the Entire M
tIonai Debt.
1t was stated in a previous articl
that waterways produce both direc
and indirect savings In the cost o
transportation and also exert VIVA
may be called creative effect. A.
an instance of the direct saving 4
was shown that the 100, 1000, 900 tons o.
freight handled on the great lakes
In 1907 were carried for $3.50, 900, OO(
less than 1t 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
We have number of rivers on which,
when properly improved, freight can
be carried for less than on the lakes
and many rivers on which 1t can be
carried for much less than by rail.
II. therefore, the plan advocated by
the National Rivers and Harbors
congress should be carried out-which
includes the Improvement of all our
rivers to such extent A. shall bs foand
advisable after expert examination
the direct saving In cost Of Transports
ton would be vastly increased. II
would probably be increased tenfold,
but II It were only doubled the direct
saving in : single year would bs more
than enough to pay OF the national
debt. z
But this IL not the end OF the bene.
its which the general improvement of
our waterways would bring. 1t IL only
The beginning. Beside the direct saw
ng there is an indirect saving which
.esults from the effect Of waterways
IN railway freight rates, for rates
ire always lower VII railroads which
meet water competition than on those
which do not. The amount Of this saw.
ne 10 not everywhere the same, owing
o difference in conditions, but we
an get good general idea Of 1t from
study Of some sample instances.
Freight Rates Affected.
Freight rates from New York to
alt Lake or Spokane are much high.
r than to San Francisco or Seattle,
Though the distance Is much less, be-
ause goods eau be carried to the Pa
lf1c coast water, around Cape
[orn, while there Is no waterway OF
ny kind to the inland cities named.
is not the ocean alone that affects
abroad rates. Compare the rates on
rst class merchandise to river towns
nd inland towns situated about $50
lies from st. Louis. Towns on the
pper Mississippi get rate Of 80
snts hundred, inland towns pay s3
ants; towns on the Ohio pay II cents,
Hand towns in the same region
~ 81.
A still more striking instance, and
10 showing the direct result of wa
rway Improvement. is to be found |
the Columbia river. Before the /,
cks at the cascades were built
eight rates on nails, and that class I
goods, from Portland to The Dalles
pre- $40 per ton. As soon a. the
cks were finished and the steam.
'ats could set through, the railroad
to dropped to two dollars per TON
10 than one.third what 1t was before.
That the difference was due to the
fer Improvement Is shown by the
ct that rates were not reduced be.
nd the point to which the steam.
ats could run. For instance. the b
10 on salt In car load lots was $50 a
ton to The Dalies, and 5000 per II
to Umatilla-t1.5o per tom for tho q,
miles with water competition and Il
70 per ton for the next 100 milss =,
!hout. These rates have since been .,
lucsd ~ the Improvement has pro. b,
'ded, and when the work IL finished ! .,
boats can run far up the Coium, 10,
river and to Lewiston and other b,
mt In Idaho on it, principal tribu. v
,, the Snake river, the people IL VI
that region will beneft not only
the direct saving on goods carried
water. but also by the indirect 4iGy.
through the reduced rate on goods -,
risd By rail-. Exactly similar re- ne
h would follow, the radical i'm, ca
ven,snt Of rivers all over, the Unitsd da
tes. u . s4-s2ss .s-p 81
iN6lrset Saving LAsos. -
hers Il. however, no possible way :.
hiding out just how much this in. -, ~
'ct saving would be. Rates on some -,
ght would be reduced greatly, on -,
% freight slightly, on some, per- 49,
,. not at all. But We can got some -
Of the amount Of freight which ~
ht be influenced. In the fiscal -
: ending June 30. 1907, the total 90
unit Of freight handled by the
'oads Of the United States was
5, 336.659 tons. Some Of this was {
cd chnrk AtcSa~n~ - ,