The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-08-22

the situation was thought Of thi
problem had received serious con
sideration on account Of the benefit
1t would confer on commerce and tn
reduced cost of living which 1t woul
bring about. Two commissions, act
Ing under authority Of congress. hav
ALREADY mapped out routes for dee
canal from the lakes to salt water
One acting in 1889, estimated the cos
at $2OO,O00,000 for a water way twent,
feet deep and 100000, 900 for a thirty
foot canal. The other commission. fou,
years later, arrived at practically tn,
same figures.
THE scheme laid down by both
provides for canal joining Lakes
Erie and Ontario and an all Ameri-
can canal through the state OF New
York, leaving Lake Erie at Oswego
up the Oswego river to within a short
distance Of Lake Oneida, by canal to
mat body of water, and thence by
canal to the Mohawk river down that
stream to the Hudson above Albany,
and along the Hudson to New York
harbor The distance from Oswego
to Battery Park, New York. is 250
miles, by this route, and most OF
the course is along natural water
ways which need only dredging to
make them navigable. While no
estimate has been made Of the time
1t would take to make this course
naVlgable for lake steamers, opinions
Of experts in dredging and canal max
ing say 1t could easily be ACCOMPLISHED
in four or five years.
Inc cost Of such a work will he
somewhat Of staggerer to the aver
age person, and were 1t not for the
necessities Of the case it would prob-
ably be half a century before the de-
nanus or commerce could induce con-
gress to take hold Of it seriously. The
Cost however, is only apparent. A
canal Of this kind would save tha
people of the country an amount
greater than the cost Of construc+ior
In fifteen years. Besides II would re-
habilltate the merchant marine of the
country on the ocean. with all the
advantages of, wealth and power that
implies. 1t would stimulate ship
building immeasurably and make the
great lakes the maritime center OF the
world.
For some reason, which It is NOT
necessary to discuss now, the Amer
lean seaboard has lost the ocean shin
ping trade, and with the trade the
great industry of ship building. The
Few yards now on the American tide
water could not exist were it not for
the patronage of the government. The
ship building of this country is done
on the lakes. This is natural enough
under the circumstances, for the de-
mand for American tonnage is almost
on fresh water, the ore. coal
and grain trade furnishing the great
volume Of business.
IF it were possible to take orr
boats from the lakes to the ocean IL
would not be long before manv hun-
dreds Of them would have broken in
10 the ocean carrying trade Every
on business on the lakes,
ana they occur at short intervals.
would see a fleet transferred to the
ocean, bidding for the business he
tween the American and foreign ports.
They would establish themselves in
that traffic, and most Of them would
remain in it, carrying il American
bottoms the commerce which now
goes to enrich foreigners. This would
keep untold millions Of American gold
1T home, and forever maintain the
of trade on the right side
The wealth of America thus kept at
home would make ever recurring and
'errlbly disastrous money panics i'm
possible and insure the country great
Ind continued prosperity.
TO replace the fleets transferred
% the ocean our yards on the lakes
would he kept going continuously.
others would have to be constructed.
md many thousands Of additional
men employed. 1t can easily be seen
hat from the Industrial economical
IND commercial views tn dep water
way is one of the very st invest
nents that could be made by the
lation.
1T has been argued in congress
md out of it that to restore the sea-
going fleet something must be done.
selfish interest and short sighted
statesmen have seen but one way.
IT professed to see but one way
he subsidization of American shins
This course might prove effective. and
I might not. There is no doubt that
I would be the means OF putting
many new vessels on the ocean under
ne American flag and reviying In
ome degree the ship building industry
n the seaboard. But no such results |
ould be hoped for through II as
you'd attained by giving the lake |
leets an outlet to the ocean. And |
make the subsidized fleet perma- |
ent would entail a constant drain on
ae taxpayer. The subsidized mag.
ates would fasten themselves unon
ne nation, and the story of the high
reflective tariff, with all it's abuses
ould be repeated. In fifty years IL
ould cost the nation FIVE times az
uch as the building of the lakes
'-ocean waterway, and it's benefit
ould be of very doubtful character.
would also cause serious internal
'nflfct and disagreement. From il
ould arise a vexatious and injurious
'ltical conflict between the two great
arties with the shutting down Of
ZIP yards whenever the subsidy was
reatened, and general move or less
laotic condition in the business world.
tn all the disaster 1t means to the
ople at large through hard times and
rtailed business and industry.