The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-01-20

they would relieve the railroads or sup
plement them in respect to the bulkier
and cheaper commodities is a matter OF
conjecture No enterprise ought to be
undertaken the cost OF which is not def
initely ascertained and the benefit and
advantage OF which are not known and
assured by competent engineers and other
authority When. however. a project OF
a definite character for the improvement
Of a waterway has been developed SO
that the plans have been drawn, the cost
definitely estimated, and the traffic
which will be accommodated is reason
ably probable l think II is the duty OF
congress to undertake the project and
make provision therefor in the proper ap-
preparation bill.
One OF the projects which answers the
description l have given is that of intro
ducing dams into the Ohio river from
| Pittsburg to 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 have already been con"
structed and six are under construction,
| while the total required is 50. The re"
naming cost is known to be $6SGOO,OoO.
1t seems to me that in the development
| OF our inland waterways it would be
wise to begin with this particular project
and carry It through as rapidly as may
| be. l assume from reliable information
| that Il can be constructed economically
| in ten years. l recommend. therefore,
that the public lands. in river and har"
Dor bills, make provision for continuing
| contracts to complete this improvement,
and shall recommend in the future, IL
| II be necessary, that bonds be issued 10
| carry 1t 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 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 i'm
provement.
As these improvements are being made.
| and the traf1c 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 II the neces-
| sIty for 1t shall appear to arise out Of the
| traffic which can be delivered on the river
at Cairo.
Cheap Rail Rate Necessary.
I am informed that the investigation
by the waterways commission in Europe
| shows that the existence of waterway
| by no means assures traffic unless there
| is trafflc 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 1t Is certain that enormous
| quantities Of merchandise are transported
over the rivers and canals in Germany
| and France and England, and 1t is also
certain that the existence of such meth
| DDS Of traffic materially affects the rates
| which the railroads charge, and 1t 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 hope that this congress will take such
steps that it may be called the inaugu-
rator of the new system of inland water
ways. For reasons which it 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 I
have recommended in respect to the pub
| lie lands and in respect to reclamation. I
earnestly urge that the measures be TAX
en- up and disposed of promptly without
| awaiting the investigation which has been
| determined upon.
WILLIAM H. TAFT.