The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-09-30
EFFECT OF WATERWAY COMPETE.
TON ON THE RAILWAYS OF
THE COUNTRY.
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SAvI...l
Conservative Estimate ls That In
Single Year It Would BE More Than
Enough to Discharge the Entire Ma.
tionai Debt.

may be called a creative effect. A
an instance of the direct saving
was shown that the 100, 100000 tons q
freight handled on the great lake
In 1907 were carried for $3.50, 900 90
less than 1t would have cost by raj
II the opinion of the United State
army engineers Is correct-and thi
opinion is based upon results actual.
achieved on the rivers of Europe
we have a number of rivers on which
when properly improved, freight cal
be carried for less than on the lake.
and many rivers on which 1t can b,
carried for much less than by rail
II. therefore, the plan advocated b!
the National Rivers and Harbor.
congress should be carried out--whict
includes the Improvement Of all oul
rivers to such extent as shall be fount
advisable after expert examination
the direct saving in cost Of transporta
ton would be vastly increased =. II
would probably be increased tenfold
but II 1t were only doubled the direc,
saving In single year would be more
than enough to pay OF the national
debt.
But this Is not the end OF the bene.
fits which the general improvement of
our waterways would bring, 1t is only
the beginning. Beside the direct saw
Ing there is an indirect saving which
results from the effect of waterways
on railway freight rates, for rates
are always lower on railroads which
meet water competition than on those
which do not. The amount of this saw
Ing is not everywhere the same, owing
to difference in conditions, but we
can get a good general idea of It from
q study oi some sample instances. :
Freight Rates Affected.
Freight rates from New York to
Salt Lake or Spokane are much high
err than to San Francisco or Seattle,
although the distance is much less, be-
cause goods can be carried to the Pa
cific coast water, around Cape
Horn, while there is no waterway of
any kind to the inland cities named.
1t Is not the ocean alone that affects
railroad rates. Compare the rates on
first class merchandise to river towns
and inland towns situated about $50
miles from St. Louis. Towns on the
upper Mississippi get rate Of 80
cents a hundred, inland towns pay So
cents; towns ON the Ohio pay Al cents,
inland towns In the same region
pay 81.
A still more striking instance, and
one showing the direct result Of wa
terway improvement. is to be found
On the Columbia river. Before the
locks at the cascades were built
freight rates on nails, and that class
Of goods, from Portland to The Dalles
were $40 per tom. As soon as the
locks were finished and the steam
boats could get through, the railroad
rate dropped to two dollars per ton
ess than one-third what 1t was before.
That the difference was due to the
liver Improvement Is shown by the
act that rates were not reduced be-
T0nd the point to which the steam.
,oats could run. For instance, the
ate on salt in car load lots was 81 80 |
Yer ton to The Dalles. and 5000 per
on to Umatilla-S1.50 per ton for the
e miles with water competition and
$40 per ton for the next 100 miles
Without. These rates have since been
sduced rs the Improvement has pro
eeded, and when the work is flashed
ind boats can run far up the Column
ia river and to Lewiston and other
oint In idaho on It's principals tribu-
ary, the Snake river, the people In
II that region will benefit not only |
y the direct saving on goods carried
y water. but also by the indirect saw
Nc through the reduced rate on goods
arried by rail. Exactly similar 70.
ults would follow the radical i'm.
rovement Of rivers all over the United
tates. IN, t,' .a
indirsot Saving Large. ,.3
There IL. however, no possible way
finding out Just how much this in
lrect saving would be. Rates on some
eight would be reduced greatly. on
'me freight slightly, on some, per-
APPS, not at all. But we can get some
lea Of the amount Of freight which
light be Influenced. In the fiscal
ear ending June 80, 1907, the total
mount of freight handled by the
lilroads Of the United States was
796.336,659 tons. Some of this was
auled a short distance, some long
stance, and some was handled by
ore than one road, but 1t was equal
236,6O1 ,390,1O3 tons hauled one
lie. II the comprehensive improve.
ent OF our waterways should make
average reduction of one mill per
n-mile-the difference In the rates
salt given above is 70 times as
UGH, or seven cents per ton mile--it
ould make q saving Of over 1896, $780,
o on the value Of business handled
the fiscal year. ID
At first glance, It looks as II that
ould mean disaster to the railways,
it that Is the exact opposite of the {
nth. Strange as 1t may. seem, the {
rest and speediest way to enlarge z