Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-05-18
URGES WOMEN
TO TAKE PART
IN PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT
OF NATURAL WATERWAYS
OF THE NATION.
BEWARE CONTROL OF TERM
NAILS BY RAILRoADs-PUB-
Lie INTEREST PARAMOUNT. =

Cincinnati, Ohio, May 14.-Speak-
ing before several thousand women at
the general federation of women's
clubs here yesterday, Representative
]. E. Ransdell of Louisiana, president
of the National Rivers and HarDos
congress, urged every woman in her
interest as a nome maker to work
for a development of the natural wa
terways of the nation.
To reduce the cost of transportation
of the common necessaries OF life,
would be to reduce the cost of living,
Mr.. Rahsdell argued, and to develop
the waterways would be to destroy all
mOnopolies of transportation. In the
cases of many common commodities,
he Illustrated, the cost of carrying
them from the point of origin to the
ultimate consumer was nearly equal
to the original cost of the article. Not
one of the necessaries of life, he de-
clared, was unaffected by the monop-
olies and cost of transportation.
we are struggling hard in con-
to enact a bill to regulate and con-
troll railroads in their multifarious re-
lations with our people. The object
sought is very desirable and some OF
the means proposed are excellent, but
it. is almost impossible to prevent mo-
nopOlies and there is always uncer-
tainty about the enforcement of hui
man law.
If We could improve and use the
terways-natural highways provid-
ed by the creator-and insure the pub
lie use of terminals upon them, no
man could monopolize them. They
are free rOadbeds for the use of all
the people. Conditions for competi-
ton are perfect and no commission
is needed to fix freight rates on inn
proved water courses. Railroads are
monOpOIistic corporations owned, op-
Grated and controlled for private
gain, they are limited in capacity ana
there is frequently fierce congestion
upon them.
I'VE should watch water terminals
with eagle eyes. II many localities
they are owned and operated by rail-
roads in their selfish interests with
scant regard for the rights of their
rivals or the public. Terminals on
navigable waters should be public
property, and all transportation agen-
cies by land and water should use
n &c npf.o i,,I1
very unjust for the government to i'm.
prove navigable waters unless they
can be used by all the people, and IN
my opinion congress should require
as a condition precedent to an appro-
priatiOn for the improvement of any
river or harbor that the state or COM
munity in interest should acquire and
mold for common use sufficient water
front ard provide thereon modern.
convenient terminals In cases where
the waterfront has already been ac-
quired by private parties, I would
suggest that the public resume own
ership through condemnation proceed
ings under the power of eminent do
main, for surely the good of tine COM
munity is superior to the right of any
private person or corporation
THE pending rivers and harbors
bill which has passed both houses of
congress and will become a law in
the near future is the best ever enact
ed. 1t embodies the three great prin-
ciples for which the National Rivers
and HarbOrs congress has fought
since its organization, viz: It carries
an appropriation of S5O,000,0O0; is to
be annual hereafter instead of trien-
Mall and adopts a fixed policy for the
completion of the great projects with
in definite period of time But we
are still far from complete success,
and gladly welcome the cooperation
of the good women of the land"