The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-09-16
FREIGHT BY WATER.
COSTS ONLY ONE-SIxTH TO ONE
TENTH AS MUCH As BY
ea RAIL. ~,
= 1-.-r--r,-- IN .y.zyyA
TRANSFORMATIONS BIG TOLL.
American People Annually Pay Out
Three Times as Much for Trans
portatIon as They Pay for Support
Of the Government.

Do you know
That the people Of the United States
pay out each year about three times
as much in transportation taxes, that
is. for the carriage of freight and pas
sengers, as they pay in taxes for the
support of government, national, state
and local?
That transportation affects the price
of everything that everybody buys,
sells, eats, wears or uses in any way
whatever-air, water and sunshine ex'
cepted?
That cheap transportation benefits
both the producer and the consumer,
making wheat and cotton higher and
flour and cloth lower at one and the
same time?
That the cheapest known transpor'
tation is water transportation, costing,
on the average, from one-sixth to one
tenth as much as transportation by
rail?
That the direct saving on the goods
actually carried by water in the
United States is over $550,000,000 a
year?
That railways always make lower
rates when subject to the competition
of waterways than where such compe-
tition does not exist?
That the indirect saving, thus
caused, is probably as large as the di'
rect saving given above?
That both the direct and indirect
saving would be largely increased by
the further improvement of our water
ways?
That waterways always increase the
profits of the railways with which they
come into competition? For the rea-
son that waterways, by giving cheap
transportation for raw materials, actu.
ally create both industry and COM
merce? AS is indicated by the fact
That in 1900 there was only one city
in the United States, with population
of 10000 or over, which was not 10.
Gated on a navigable waterway? And
further
How Frankfort Benefited.
That Frankfort, Germany, grew
more in the twenty years after the
River Main was canalized than 1t had
grown in the two hundred years be-
fore? And again
That Germany, which is nearly co..
900 square miles smaller than Texas,
but has one of the finest waterway
systems in the world, had in 1908 a
foreign commerce greater than that OF
the United States by over $500, 000,.
900?
That throughout the civilized world
the largest cities, the densest popula-
ton, the busiest and most prosperous
people are to be found along naviga-
BILE waterways?
That the surest and speediest way
to develop the resources of the nation
and every state and section thereof.
to increase the growth of every city
and community in the country. to pro-
mote the prosperity of every interest,
including the railroads, and Of every
citizen, east, west, north and south, is
to improve all our waterways as fast
and as far as we can?
That money used for the improve
ment of waterways, wisely planned
and honestly constructed, is not an
expenditure but an investment, which
will pay dividend of at least 100 per
cent year?
Provision for Funds.
That the benefits which would re-
suit from the comprehensive improve
ment of our waterways, and the losses
which would follow our failure to
make such improvement, are SO enor-
nous, that funds should be provided
by the issuance of bonds-aS has been
done by railways-so that the work
may be begun. at once and finished as
soon as possible?
That the national government claims
exclusive jurisdiction and exercises
supreme control over all navigable wa
terways? And therefore
That it depends entirely on the con.
gress of the United States whether
the work of creating great national
system of waterways shall be done at
all and how soon it shall be finished?
That the vote of the member of con-
gress from your district will help to
decide the policy of the government
with regard to waterways?
That the action of congressman is
Influenced by the wishes of their con-
stituents, when they know what those
wishes are?
That you have the right to ask the
candidates for congress in your dis
trict to state their position on this
question now, before the election?
That you are blind to your own in
terests If you do not ask your candi-
dates to pledge themselves to work
and vote for waterways If elected, and
then demand of the one who is elect.
ed that he shall keep his pledge?
The facts and figures given in this
series of articles have been submitted
in the hope that those Eho read them
would see the Importance of the policy
of waterway Improvement advocated
by the National Rivers and Harbors
congress, and would aid in securing
the adoption of that policy. How well
they have served the purpose for
which they were written must be left
for their readers to decide.
Every obstruction to the free and
open navigation of our waterways is
n hraka IN the wheels of indue&rv