Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1910-09-16
SAVING OF MILLIONS
WHAT COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM
OF WATERWAYS IMPROVE
mgNT MEANS TO FARMERS.
FIGURES TO SUPPORT FACTS
On Shipments Of Grain Alone the pl-
rect Return Would Mean 100000
COO. ard proportionsfely All Other
Products Would &c Affected.

In former article We gave facts and
figures 10 prove that II the c0mDfe
hsnsise plan Of waterway improve
menf advocated 0g fhe National RiV
crs and HarbDrs congress we're car.
ried out. ibe direct return 20 me farm.
~rs % the county 90 the single Hen
q grain. eould certainly be 100000.
coo year and probably would be
NOTE than twice that sum
Bar grain II not he only item on
which the farmers would receive a
benefit The fact l. that tor the farm
ers and everybody elise. Tor that mat
ses the cost u transportation lnnu.
enras practically everything be buys.
sells. eats wears o. uses Ia any way
whatever except water air and sun
shine The average man IS inclined TO
laugh when told that he pays ont more
fos transportation than he does for
taxes or because of the tariff but bis
laughter does not alter the fact Ia the
least
There are three principal methods
81 transportation. the waSonway tho
railway and fhe waterway and there
d 50 great difference ~ the cost OF
transportation BY these different meth.
DDS that Il u worth while 10 study the
matter little The experts OF the
good reads bnfeaa estimate the cost
of hauling 4 ton of freight Que mile
~ horse and wagon on the average
road 10 the United States Al IS cents
Ths coal on a thoroughly good. smooth
road might br reduced 10 10 cents
poofs Manual gives 4s2 mills per ton
mile AZ the average price received by
tbs railways in 1907. while the official
records kept At the 500 show that the
average rate on the freight carried
lato aud out Of Lake Superior Ia the
same year WAS only & ~ one mill
Facts In a Nutshen.
You can better understand what
these figures mean II they are stated
IA another way They mean that n
yoa have a dollar TO spend In shipping
a ton OF freight you can send Il 4 I
miles ON an average road. 10 miles on /
Z Hrst-class road. 1874 miles On d rail.
road. and $50 miles on lake vessel /
Il Is very easy 10 see that good I
roads are 4 lot better than poor roads (
hni that transportation by horse and .
wagon il too costly Al the best 10 be
used except for small loads and short
distances So far a. Interstate graffic
u concerned the wagon road must be
left entirely out Of consideration Il
]
beneft would result from the building
OF a railway into region whore there
Was none before. and that a still
greater benefit would result from 30
improving = river that Il Is made
navigable when Il was not
"a before
Waterways increase proapesity In
three principal ways. viz direct saw
InS. Indirect saving. and by what may
b. called creative effect The direct
saving Il that witch occurs on goods
,rtnaliy carried BY water. and some !,
acts ~hlch Indicate how grea; this a. /
'nct saving IL. Will also make more 1
,ialn the vast difference between the
'os; OF transportation by rail and By
alter
Through the 500 canal al the out
q u Lake Superior there were ear
led Ia 1907. bs2iT.sis tons OF freight
'hls was carried at average distance 4
Z s2s5 miles At an average cost OF y
OF one uliil per ton.milc N this
al been shipped by rail- At the aver h
81 railway rate for that year (7ss t,
lillsl. It's transportation would have :
oct s15s s3S .set more than was paid
% is carriage by water.
The total freight carried on all y
lkes that year was. IN round mum. y
FRS. 100 .O0p. 900 tons This vast ton. "A
sge MAS carried for s550000 900 less ii
IAN II would have cost 10 send Il by I
~. and the improvements. which pro.
ace . saving large enough to pay on n
l~ National debt IN loss than two
'ars. coat only SIS .eoo.0oo \
Proof o. Good Results q
Wouldn't you call that pretty fair .
sidrsd ON The Investment And don't y
~ think 4 would pay 20 improve ali II
lr waterways AZ fast and as far a. u
= can q
but. says some one what reason o
there 10 suppose that improved riv 4,
. would Kire anything Hike an good =,
sults a. have hcen obtained on the
kesr- That is proper question and
euiitied 90 an answer
The only waterway IN this country =
tieh has bccn improved as a whole u
compaer4 of the four lakes above A
.assra Fails. bet there are many i'm a
uaed risers Ia Europe From care I
stuag of the results obtained on !,
ss rivers ih~ army engineers esti
Fl b. that when RE Improvement OF
OHIO rlFef Is snishea. freight can
carried thereon for one half min q
ton Diis Thai meens that the Is
ar which ~lil carry 4 ton i7T9
fs bf raii end .eso miles by lake 10
l CARR q K0lo mites By river i
'osi u transportation ~ill vary on !,
Hvfeni rivers ~lth depth. width. =.
'iftness ~ current. etc. but the es
axfs4 sr1ssf ga a .sffnnI.teis ls,nrs,xet -