Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-22
.518.152O FARNAM STREET

not be made quite as regular as those upon
railways.
Inventors and river transportation men
must. however, devote their attention to
overcoming the physical disadvantage as
to terminal and transfers involved in the
variation of the level of the river.
water Competition Destroyed.
"One of the great reasons for the decrease
of river transportation has been the com
petition of railways whose physical ad-
vantages have already been referred to.
More than these, traffic managers of rail
ways have lowered their own traffic rates
where there is water competition until the
river business has been entirely dis
couraged and then raised the rates when
the river business has been thus sup
pressed
Provision has been made in the railway
act passed at the last session of congress
which will prevent railways from adopting
this device Of destroying river competi-
ton The truth Is, that with the new de-
velopments of river business it will be
possible TO give power to our Interstate
Commerce commission to make regulations
for the Joint traffic between rivers and
railways that will greatly encourage the
continuance of the river business. for If
we would use our waterways in the most
economical manner, there must be
friendly cooperation, as the waterways
commission points out between those en-
gagged in transportation on water and those
| by rail. The concurrent and joint opera
jtion- OF railways and water carriage is
much better regulated abroad than it is
here and we have a great deal to learn in
! this regatd, which, when studied out, can
I be embodied in statute,
Cost of Improvement.
THE cost of the improvement of the Ohio
river is to be upwards of $500 900 and it
affects a sufficient territory and a suf-
ficfent number of people to justify the ex-
! petditure OF the money out of the treasury
of the United States. The plan is to APP
propriate sufficient money each year so as
to complete all the dams i'm twelve years
l wish that congress had arranged to ex-
pend the money in less time and complete
the work, for its completion Is not alone
/ important for the immediate benefit that
and which shall be passed by or delayed
1t is a rule fairly well observed by the
committee river and harbors. that no
project which has not received the approval
of both Of the boards shall be appropriated
| for and adopted.
Too Much Division of Money.
! LAS these waterways improvements are to
be carried on in upwards of two-thirds Of
the congressional districts. II can be readily
understood what the pressure is from their
i representatives in congress to have every
project that is approved appropriated for.
i The total cost of the projects surveyed
and estimated for is far in excess of any
thing that congress could appropriate for
the general purpose from the revenues of
q I,a for
years, The consequence is that in the de-
sire to satisfy the claims or all. the amount
which is available from the current revenue
is divided up and apportioned between all
the various enterprises that have thus re-
|. ceiNed the approval OF the engineers This
Is done with very little regard to the com
parative merits of the different improve
ments and IL has tendency TO delay every
improvement a number OF years beyond the
time when II might be made profitable by
early completion.
This is what has been called the piece
NEAR policy and is very unsatisfactory.
supervising board of engineers should
recommend to congress the Improvement
In the order OF their Importance and should
nave the power to advise that body that
the beginning Of certain improvements
should be postponed until other improve.
ments are completely flushed OF course
understand that the difficulty is part OF
our system of government. Every district
'hat mas projected improvement feels
that II ought to secure some share in the
beheht that is To be derived from the an
hual expenditures Of money for all improve
mehts' In the labor employed. in the ma
'eTlals purchased and in the business
created as well as in some progress, how
ever small made in it's improvement to-
wards ITS completion. IL now means that
departure from the present system would
J mot s,pone the comp elton of many OF thess
, improvements any more than they are
hkely TO be delayed under the present sys-
E tenn On the contrary. II the new plan tc
t De adopted involves the prompt completion
/ OF these projects which are entered upon
S 'he others which are prepared when they
p are begun may count upon a much shorter
period for the whole work
Executive Needs More Power.
: IL Is doubtful how far by executiv,
oruer' can 80 in directing the engineer,
10 make recommendations informing con
s'ess as TO the relative Importance OF thu
projects adopted and entered upon / thinl
? 1 nave gone as far as l can in this matter
0 ana snail ask congress for more power
$ at It's next session. This should be giveT
In the form of authority to organize I
BOARD OF engineers TO go over many pa,
r uaily completed enterprises that we're be
Z sun before the present plan Of approval b,
. two boards was adopted or which b,
E changes In conditions need KanntnatiS,
) may not determine whether they sbool.
4 be abandoned Until this Is done thes
q projects whether worthy or unworthy, vii