The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1910-01-21

tAoy would relieve the railroads - o0-
DaOnoat them in respect to the bulkier
and cheaper commodities 10 . matter Of
contecture- No enterprise ought to b
undertake. the cost of which il not def
initely aseertained and the benefit and
advantage of which are not known and
assured by competent engineers and oth0r
authority. When. however = project q
. definite character for the improvement
OF . waterway has been developed %
that the plans have been drawn. the cost
dehniteiy estimated, and the traffic
which will be accommodated 10 reason
ably probable l think it is the duty Of
congress to undertake the project and
make provision therefor in the proper ap-
propriation bin.
One of the projects which answers the
description have given is that of intro
duciny dams into the Ohio river from
Ftusburg to Cairo. to maintain at
all seasons of the year. by slack water.
depth of nine feet Upward of seven
OF these dams lave already been con-
structed and six are under construction.
while the total required is 20. The re-
naming cost IS known to be SS3 .0ee.
IL seems 10 ME that in the development
OF our inland waterways it would be
wise to begin with this particular project
and carry II through as rapidly ar may
be. j assume from reliable information
that II can be constructed economically
In ten years. ! recommend. therefore.
that the public lands. in river and har-
Dor bills, make provision for continuing
contracts 10 complete this improvement.
And shall recommend in the future. II
it he necessary. that bonds bs issued to
carry 1t through
What has been said OF the Ohio river
10 true In less complete way of the i'm
provement of the upper Mississippi from
St. Paul 10 St Louis to a constant depth
OF six feet and of the Missouri. from
Kansas City to st. Louis TO q 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 inn
provement
As these improvements are being made.
and the traffic 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 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 tho
trafic which can be delivered on the river
At Cairo.
Cheap Rail Rate Necessary.
Am Informed that the investigation
by the waterways commission in Europe
shows that the existence of = waterway
is traffic 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 it is certain that enormous
quantities OF merchandise are transported
over the rivers and canals in Germany
and France and England. and II 10 also
certain that the existence of such meth
DDS of traffic materially affects the rates
which the railroads charge. and It 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 1t may be called the inaugu-
rator Of the new system OF inland water
ways. For reasons which II is not nee
essary here to state. congress has seen
Mt 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 taxi
en- up and disposed of promptly without
awaiting 'he investigation which has been
determined upon.
WILLIAM n. TAFT.