The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-01-24
Commission on River Trans
pOrtation Submits Interest
ing Report TO Congress.
CANALS TOO COSTLY
DECLARE MEMBERS
Expenditure Of Large Sums for I'm
provement of Channels Said to
Be Only Solution.


improvements Of waterways OF the
country and the regulation OF water
power by the Government in order to
prevent monopoly. arc set forth in a
report Submitted TO Congress today 10y
The InIaud Waterways Commission
The commission. which consists Of
twelve members of the Senate and
House, with Senator Burton Of Ohio.
chairman. has been hard at work since
/. last March.
Reasons Given.
The report credits the general decrease
/ IN water borne traffic IN this country
| 20 the superior facilities o. the railroads
and their practice Of reducing rates TO
stife boat traffic where it offers com
petition The Mississippi river shows
a heavy decrease in tonnage and the
Great Lakes a notable increase.
The Erie canal ana the Hudson river
have shown a falling of. particularly
heavy i'm the last few years. and tire.
/ Kanawha, Tennessee. and MonongaheIs
rivers among others, have Increased
tan1a=e- To the plea that the improve
ment Of water routes reduces rates nv
Z rail even Il the waterways are not used.
the report says
Can't Reach Roads.
The commission. while fully re.os-
nizinC this fact. cannot fndorza this as
a desirabI1 policy 10 adopt. Tt rests.
, IN the first instance upon The trans
parent failacy that the railroads CON
Stttute an intreuched and uncomfortable
monopoly which cannot be reached by
legislation or other orderly lezz1 meth
DDS thar che only way in which TO com
pei them % lower rates is by the e,-
rencitu-e Of large sums Of money ia
/ lia Improvement o. channels ss-Hf-r
are Z" remain wholly or partially mn
used" -''
To meet cases IN which railroads -afza
rates after water competition is STAINED
out, the commission recommends mar
the railrc@-is Should not be ps-r-7r-a7
/ 10 raise rates once lowered 70 NEE. boat
competition without the consent of tho
Interstate Commerce Commission
majority Of the commission also recon-
wends that the Interstate Comue-cs
. Np.--li-iH7iY-l ne gwen power 20 prescribe
minimum railroad rates whenever. in its
opinion, the object of a railroad fn re-
dUcinE rates is 70 destroy wa-erva7
competition
Nv lille the tendency Of waterway In
Z orCveme1ts TO lower freight rates is an
/ important element to be considered 90
says the report. "tne Fundamental c-f-
teriou should be whether a raiIv-- or a
Z waterway. when constructed or i'm
proved VIII be a profitable investment
Z Of capital
Statistics Lacking.
Statistical information upon inland
( waterway traffic is furnished by several
different bureaus OF the Government. but
i Is s-rikinSly lacking in uniformity and
+ IN sufficient classification as well. II IS
E recommended that a uniform system be
+ established applicable TO all waterways. %
+ Improvement OF natural waterways is
much preferred by the commission 10
the building Of canals, the latter work
I nvoIvinE far the greater expense in the
4 purchase of land and cost OF construc-
tiou.
Canals for seagoing ships are consId-
+ cred desirable by the commission only
I 10 overcome a narrow barrier between
1 uaviEabIe waters; TO save a great sailing
/ distance, as in the case Of the Suez
/ canal. and TO eive large cities near the
j coast outlets to the sea.