The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1910-01-27
URGE CAUTION IN
CANAL BUILDING.
Commission Doubts Waterways
as Rate Regulator.
PAY FOR POWER IS DESIRED
Report Of Congressional Body Dis.
courases Improvement as a Means
Of CURLING Railroads - De-
crease In Traffic Cited.

y. =
Washington, Jan. 25.-All sections OF
the country will find subjects OF local
as well as general interest In the pre-
liminary report of the national water.
ways commission, submitted to con.
gress.. The report is based on a com.
prehensive investigation in this coun.
try and abroad. and will be followed
by report with further recommends,
tions. The preliminary statement ad,
vocates:
General plan of conservation of wa.
ter power, with the shaping of pro
jects in the light of future needs of
streams. ...' -.
Resort to federal and state legisla.
tion rather than to unnecessary chan.
mel improvement merely to enforce
reduction of railroad freight rates,
with inhibition on the other hand of
manipulation of such rates to freeze
out water competition.
Uniform system of distribution of
cost of waterway improvements among
federal, state and local governments.
Avoidance of multiplication of ports.
Restriction Of dam construction per-
mits.
Undertaking of such waterway
projects only as can be completed
within reasonable time.
Federal tax on power furnished to
consumers.
Reservation by the government OF
power to alter or repeal power rights.
Dam Regulations Proposed.
The commission holds that the fed.
eral government has no proprietary
right or interest in navigable waters
which would authorize the collection
of tolls. 1t believes that each con.
sent to. construct dam should pro
vide that the grantee, whenever nee
essary to subserve navigation inter:
ests, must construct and furnish pow.
er for a lock suited to the locality and
to probable traffic development. Such
from legal objections which might be
maintained against a system of tolls.
Power developed at government dams
for navigation or irrigation purposes
should be. utilized and sold at fair
price, 1t is asserted ...-.
Against Canals as Rate Reducers.
Although not denying the tendency
of river improvements to, lower rail
road rates, the commission holds II
undesirable to expend money on river
channels solely for the effect upon
such rates. The fundamental cri
terion, it says, should be whether q
railway or waterway, when con
structed or improved, will be profit
able investment. Pointing cut thai
the railways have reduced rates tenn
porarily, and continued them on .
lower basis until competing water
lines have been driven out of bust
ness, the committee recommends that
when a rate is once reduced by .
railroad 1t should not be permitted Il
raise 1t again unless, after hearing BY
the interstate complerce commission
or other competent body, it shall be
found that the increase is justified BY
changed conditions other than the
elimination or decrease of water com
petition. --
STodt LO1e or kNC WiustoSIpPis
The most striking instance OF de
crease in water trafiic cited is that o.
the Erie canal, though the commission
regards as quite as striking" the de
crease in traffic on the Mississipp
river and It's tributaries.
Construction of artificial canal,
adapted to the passage of sea-goini
ships, according to the commission
would be profitable only where, first
they would connect navigable waters
near each other. between which large
traffic naturally would exist but for
rapids or comparatively narrow strips
of land, as in the case of the Sault Ste
Marie, Welland and Lachine canals,
or, second, where comparatively short
canals would save a great sailing dis
lance, as in the cases of the Suez
Panama and Kaiser Wilhelm canals;
or, third, where canals from the sea
would extend to large cities near the
coast where large communities have
become great freight consumers, as In
the cases of the Manchester canal an6
the Belgium system. The commissions
cites many obvious disadvantages OF
these canals, says 1t is conceivable
that the disadvantages might be less
ened somewhat, but makes no recon-
mendation.
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