The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-01-20

they would relieve the railroads or sup
plement them In respect to the bulkier
and cheaper commodities Is a matter of
conjecture. No enterprise ought to be
undertaken the cost of which is net def
initely ascertained and the benefit and
advantage OF which are not known and
assured by competent engineers and other
authority. When. however. a project of
a defini character for the Improvement
OF a waterway has been developed so
that the plans have been drawn, the cost
definitely estimated, and the traffic
which will be accommodated is reason
ably probable l think 1t is the duty or
congress to undertake the project and
make provision therefor in the proper APP
preparation bill.
One of the projects which answers the
description l have given is that of intro
ducing dams into the Ohio river from
Pittsburg TO Cairo, SO as to maintain at
all seasons of the year, by slack water,
a depth of nine feet. Upward OF seven
Of these dams have already been con-
structed and six are under construction,
while the total required is 80. The re-
naming cost is known to be s63. O0O. 900.
1t seems to me that in the development
of our inland waterways il would be
wise to begin with this particular project
and carry it through as rapidly as may
be. l assume from reliable information
that II can be constructed economically
in ten years. | recommend. therefore,
that the public lands. in river and har-
Dor bills, make provision for continuing
contracts to complete this Improvement.
and | sha recommend in the future. il
il be necessary, that bonds be issued to
carry 1t through.
What has been said of the Ohio river
is true in a less complete way of the inn
provement of the upper Mississippi from
st. Pau to st. Louis to a constant depth
of six feet, and of the Missouri, from
Kansas City to St. Louis to a constant
depth of six feet and from St Louis to
Cairo of a depth of eight feet. These
projects AVE been pronounced practical
by competent boards of army engineers,
their cost has been and there
is business which will follow the i'm
provement.
AS these improvements are being made,
and the traffic encouraged by them shows
itself of sufficient Importance. the inn
provement of the Mississippi beyond
Cairo down to the gulf. which is now
going on with the maintenance Of a depth
of nine feet everywhere. may be changed
to another and greater depth IL the neces-
sity for II shall appear to arise out of the
ira ffic which can be delivered on the river
at Cairo.
Cheap Rail Rate Necessary.
l am informed that the Investigation
ny III "dlSl ways Va TSulOpo
shows that the existence of a waterway
by no means assures traffic unless there
is traffic adapted to water carriage at
cheap rates at one end or the other of
the stream. 1t also appears in Europe
that the depth of the streams Is rarely
more than six feet. and never more than
nine. But 1t is certain that enormous
quantities of merchandise are transported
over the rivers and canals in Germany
and France and England. and 1t is also
certain that the existence of such meth
eds of traffic materially affects the rates
which the railroads charge, and It is the
best regulator Of those rates that we
have, not even excepting the govern
mental regulation through the interstate
| commerce commission. For this reason.
I hope that this congress will take such
steps that II may be called the ~inaugu-
rator of the new system of inland water
ways. For reasons which IL is not nee
essary here to state, congress has seen
fit TO order an investigation into the in
terror department and the forest service
of the agricultural department. The re-
suits OF that investigation are not needed
To determine the value of, and the ne
cessity for, the new legislation which l
have recommended in respect to the pub
lie lands and in respect to reclamation. /
earnestly urge that the measures be TAX
en- UP and disposed of promptly without
awaiting the investigation which has been
determined upon.
vii LIAM ~ TAFT.