The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1910-09-03
GOOD FOR COUNTRY.
IMPROVEMENT OF WATERWAYS
WILL DEVELOP RESOURCES
OF EVERY SECTION.
FREIGHT CARRIED CHEAPLY
Make a Direct Saving in Cost Of Trans
portatlon by the Water Routes, and
Indirectly Serve to Lower Railway
Carrying Rates.

poTtaton by the water Hou1esi anu
Indirectly Serve to Lower Railway
Carrying Rates.
The claim has been made in prevt-
Gus articles-and facts and figures
given to support the claim-that wa
terways carry freight more cheaply
than the railways do or can, and that
they compel the railways to carry
freight more cheaply than they other
wise would, making a saving Of hun
dreds Of millions OF dollars year, even
under present conditions, and indicat-
ing a vast increase in that saving II al,
waterways should be improved. And
then the surprising assertion was
made that the surest way to enlarge
the business and increase the profits
Of the railroads OF the United States
is to improve the waterways Of the
United States. The best guide to the
future is the experience of the past,
so let US see what has actually hap
pened to railways when waterways
have been improved.
That the Improvements in the chan
nels and haroors of the lakes have
been Of great benefit, both to the rail
ways which parallel their shores and
to those which run from lake cities to
the interior, is a fact so plain that
ii needs no argument to support it.
There are no more prosperous and
profitable roads in the country than
those that serve the region tributary
to the lakes. But no one questions
the wisdom Of continuing the improve
ment OF the lakes, or Of our ocean
harbors. The real question is as to
the improvement of our rivers, and If
we wish TO study the effect Of river
improvement, either on railway reye-
nues or national development, we
must go to Europe.
Results In Bohemia.
During the fifteen years that i'm
provements were under way on the
Elbe river, in Bohemia, the river traf-
fc, as a natural result of the better
channel, increased hvefold. But traf-
hc on the competing railways In.
creased still more largely and the div.
idends on the main line, from Teplltz
to Aussig, rose to Is per cent. per
annum.
Similar results followed the canal.
cation OF the River Main, from May
ence, on the Rhine, to Frankfort
which was finished in the latter part
OF 1886. The river traffic, which
5 amounted to only 1860 0 tons in thai
} year, began to grow and has kept OF
, growing, being 1878, 900 tons in 1892
3 There are two railroads between
Frankfort and M~ayence, one on eacl
, side Of the river. What happened Il
them? Did their business show a Sc
rions falling of? Or were they forced
into the hands Of a receiver? On tn,
contrary their traffic, which was oil,
900 tons in 1886, also began to grow
and by 1902 had reached 1908, 00(
tons, or more than double what It was
when the railroads had a practica
monopoly Of the business OF Frank
fort.
The mere statement Of the In
creased tonnage does not tell the
whole truth of the matter, for the
tonnage was not only more thar
/, doubled in quantity, but greatly
raised in grade, so that it could pay
and did pay, a much higher rate pei
ton per mile.
Fine German Waterways.
Practically all the railways of Ger
many are state owned and state oper
ated. Out OF a total Of $4,000 miles
In round numbers. only about 2,50J
miles are operated by private com
panies. Germany also has one Of thu
finest systems Of waterways in tn,
world. and a study of the balanct
sheet Of the German railway system
shows that the results which followe,
the Improvement of the River Mali
are not an exception, a mere coincl
dence, but are the natural %outworkinl
Of a principle OF general application
In the calendar year 1907, after payinl
for operation, maintenance, repairs
renewals, new equipment, interest OF
bonds, contribution to the SINKING
fund, and every other item which th.
most careful bookkeeping required 4
be charged up, the German railway
turned 1874, O00, 900 Of absolutely ne
revenues into the treasures Of tn
various states. This was 35,050 pc
! mile OF line operated, while the CORE
spending figure on United States raj,
ways for the fiscal year 19o6-7 wa
, only t1.s67-a little v oAe-third a
much.
! Much the greater part Of the tota
revenue Of the German states is d.
rived from their railways, II cents Oh
Of every dollar received by Prussia 4
1907 being 30 obtained. Yet German
statesmen keep on, year after yea
spending money earned by their raj
ways in building and improving Watei
ways TO compete with those same raj
, ways. on which they depend as th
: principal source OF national income
; In the light Of the facts given abov
It will not do to say that these Gel
20 man efafaamen do mot knoU That fha