Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-02-02
URGE CAUTION IN
CANAL BUILDING.
Commission Doubts Waterways
as Rate Regulator.
PAY FOR POWER. is DESIRED
Report of Congressional Body Dis.
coursees Improvement as a Means
of Curling Railroads - De-
crease in Traffic Cited.

Washington, Jan. ALI sections of
the country will find subjects of local
as we'll as general interest in the pre-
liminary report OF the national water:
ways commission, submitted to con
sress. The report is based on com.
prehensive Investigation in this coun
try and abroad and will be followed
by report with further recommends.
tons. The preliminary statement ad
vocates: = II,
General plan of conservation of wa
ter power, with the shaping of pre-
jects i'll the light of future needs of
streams. /.
Resort to federal and state legisli
ton rather than to unnecessary chan
mel improvement merely to enforce
reduction of railroad freight rates,
with inhibition on the other hand of
manipulation of such rates to :'freeze
out water competition. t
Uniform system of distribution of
cost of waterway improvements among
federal, state and local governments
Avoidance OF multiplication OF ports.
Restriction of dam construction per-
mits.
Undertaking OF ,such waterway
projects only as can be completed
within I; reasonable time!
, Federal tax on power furnished to
consumers rs
Reservation by the government of
power to alter or repeal power rights.
Dam Regulations Proposed.
The commission holds that the fed
eral government. has no proprietary
right OF interest in navigable waters
which would authorize the collection
of tolls. 1t believes. that. each con-
sent to construct dam should pro
vide that the grantee whenever nee
essary to subserve navigation inter
ests. must construct and furnish pow
err for a lock suited tosthe locality and
to probable trafiic development Such
requirements are claimed to be Tree
frcm legal objections which might be
maintained against a systemiof tolls.
Power developed at government, dams
for navigation or irrigation purposes
SuouiQ. bS utliiASu SOlu IL
price, it is asserted. T.
Against Canals as Rate Reducers.
Although not denying the tendency
of river improvements to lower rail-
road rates, the commission: holds ii
undesirable to expend money onariver
channels solely for the effect upon
such rates. The fund amental cri.'
t,.,,t Ia =,
railway. or waterway, when con-
structed or improved, will be profit
able Investment. Pointing out that
the railways have reduced rates tenn
porarily, and continued them on a
lower basis until competing. water
lines have been driven out of bust.
ness, the committee recommends that
when a rate is once reduced by a
railroad it should not be permitted. to
raise it again unless. after hearing by
the interstate commerce commission,
or other competent body, it shall be
found that the Increase is justified by
changed conditions other, than the
elimination or decrease of water com
petition. -, u;
Great Loss on the Mississippi.
The most striking instance of de.
crease in water traffic cited is that of
the Erie canal, though the commission
regards as quite as striking. the de-
crease in traffic on the Mississippi
river and its tributaries. t.
Construction of ARTIFICIAL canals
adapted to the passage of .sea-going
ships, according to the commission.
would be profitable only where, first,
they would connect navigable waters
near each other, between which large
traffic naturally would exist bit for
rapids OF comparatively narrow strips
OF land as in the case of the Sault Ste
Marie, Welland and Lachine canals.
or, second. where comparatively short
canals would save a great sailing dis
lance, as III the cases of the Suez,
Panama and Kaiser Wilhelm canals;
or, third, where canals from the sea
would extend to large cities near the
coast where large communities have
become great freight consumers, as in
the cases of the Manchester canal and
the Belgium system. The commission
cites many obvious disadvantages OF
these canals, says it is. conceivable
that the disadvantages might be less.
ened somewhat, but makes no recon-
mendatiOn.