The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1910-10-28
mean LOWER RATES
eeegcT o. WATERWAY coMpgrt
rloM ON the RAILWAYS o.
vNg coUMrAx.
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SAVING

Conservative gstimsts 10 Thst IN .
Single Wear N WsSs6 D Msrs ThsW
Gnsseh y ossshssss the Gat'rs ~
sisNsi osbG
Il vas statsd n . previous article
that waterway produce both direct
and Indirect eaving5 IN The cost OF
transportatica and also exert what
may be called . creative effect. A.
a. Instance II the direct saving u
vas shown that III 100. o00. 900 tons cf
freight handled on the great lakes
IN 1907 wersg carried Tor $3.50. 000. 900
lees than II would have cost By rail.
II the opinion Of the United States
army engineers 10 correct-and this
opinion u based upon results actually
achieved on the rivers Of Europe
We have q number Of rivsrs on which.
when properly improved. freight can
be carried for less than on the lakes
and many rivers on which II can b
carried for much less than BY rail.
II, therefore. the plan advocated BY
the National Rivers and Harbors
congress should be carried out--which
includes the Improvement Of all our
rivers to such extent ~ shall b found
advisable after expert examination
the direct saving In cost Of transporta-
ton would be vastly increased. II
would probably b. increased tenfold.
but n Il were only doubled the direct
saving In . single year would be more
than enough to pay Oh the national
debt.
But this 10 not the end Of the bene-
ats which the general Improvement Of
our waterways would bring. II b only
the beginning. Beside the direct saw
ing there 10 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 10 not everywhere the same. owing
to difference In conditions. but We
can get Q good general idea Of II from
. study Of some sample instances.
Freight Rssss AsIsstst.
Freight rates from New York to
Salt Lake or Spokane are much high.
er than TO San Francisco or Seattle.
although the distance 10 much less. be-
cause goods can b. carried to the Pa
CHE coast By water. around Cape
Horn, while there II no waterway Of
any kind to the Inland cities named.
Il b not the ocean alone that Affects
railroad rates. Compare the rates on
irst class merchandise to river towns
and tnland towns situated about $50
milss from 81. Louis. Towns on the
upper Mississippi get . rate Of -
cents Q hundred. inland towns pay %
cents; towns on the Ohio pay II cents.
inland towns In the same region
pay 81.
A still more striking instance, and
one showing the direct result Of va
tsrway Improvement. 10 to be found
on the Columbia river. Before the
locks at the cascades we're built
freight rates on nails. and that class
OF goods, from Portland TO The Dalles
were $3.50 per ton. A. soon - the
locks were finished and the steam
boats could get through. the railroad
rate dropped to two dollars per ton
less tnan one.third what II was before.
That the difference was due 10 the
river Improvement 10 shown BY the
fact that rates were not reduced be
yond the point TO which the steam
boats could run. For instance. the
rate ON salt In car load lots was $50
per ton to The Dalles. and 5000 per
ton to Umafilla--Sl.50 per ton for the
50 miles with water competition and
$50 per ton for the next 100 miles
without. These rates have since been
reduced ~ the Improvement has pro
ceeded. and when the work 10 finished
and boats can run far up the CoIum.
bia river and to Lewiston and other
point In Idaho on Its principal tribu.
tary, the Snake river. the people In
all that region will benefit not only
BY the direct saving on goods carried
by water. but also by the indirect saw
ing through the reduced rate on goods
S8btuW0 w saus EAS~hty SshbiSs
suits would follow the radical I'm.
provement Of rivers all over the Unitsd
States.
indirect osvino Large.
There 10. however. no possible way
of nrding out Just how much this In.
direct saving would be. Rates on some
freight would BE- reduced greatly. on
some freight slightly. on some. per.
hsps. not 1t all. hut We can get some
idea Of the amount Of freight which
might be Influenced. In the fiscal
pear ending June 80. 1907. the total
amount Of freight handled b. the
railroads Of the United States WAS
l.7s6.33e.sSs tons. Some Of this WAS
hauled . short distance. some long
distance. and some vas handled BY
more than one road. but Il was equal
to 33s.s0i. ss0.iOs tons hauled one
mile. n the comprehensive improve.
msnt Of our waterways should make
an average reductions Of one mill per
49, A. -