Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1910-01-21

they would relieve the railroads or guD-
piement them In respect TO the bulkier
and cheaper commodities Is . matter Of
conjecture. No enterprise ought 70 be
undertaken the cost Of which is not 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 definite character for the Improvement
Of a waterway has been developed SO
that the plans have been drawn. the cost
definitely estimated. and the trafic
which will be accommodated - reason
ably probable / think ii is the duty OF
congress TO undertake the project and
make provision therefor in the proper APP
preparation bill.
One Of the projects which answers the
description have given is that Of intro
| ducing dams into the Ohio river from
/ Pittsburg 70 Cairo. so as TO maintain at
/ all seasons of the year. by slack water.
/ 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 50 The re-
i naming cost is known 10 be SIS. 900.
/ Ii seems to me that in the development
| of our inland waterways II would be
| wise to begin with this particular project
| and carry II through rapidly as may
be. ! assume from reliable information
that 1t can be constructed economically
| in ten years. / recommend. therefore.
4
Dor bills. make provision for continuing
contracts to complete this improvement
and | shall recommend in the future, III
IL be necessary. that bonds be issued to
carry IL through.
what has been said OF the Ohio river
is true in a less complete way of the i'm
provement Of the upper Mississippi from
st. Paul to St Louis to constant depth
OF six feet. and Of the Missouri, from
Kansas city q st Louis TO a constant
I ~
Cairo of a depth of eight feet These
projects have been pronounced practical
by competent boards of army engineers.
their cost has been estimated and there
is business which will follow the inn
provement.
IA these improvements are being made
and the traffic encouraged by them shows
itself of sufficient importance. the i'm
provement Of the Mississippi beyond
Cairo down to the gulf. which Is now
| going on with the maintenance of depth
. | of nine feet everywhere may be changed
TO another and greater depth IL the neces
. | sity for It shall appear TO arise out of ths
: tranic which can be delivered on the rivei
, | at Cairo.
Cheap Rail Rate Necessary.
? am informed that the Investigation
! by the waterways commission in Europ'
{ | shows that the existence of q waterwa,
E by no means assures traffic unless Their
a Is traffic adapted to water carriage a
5 cheap rates at one end or the other o
.. the stream. 1t also appears in Europ
I that the depth OF the streams In rarei!
n more than six feet. and never more thai
e nine. But IL fs certain that enormou
e quantities of merchandise are Transports
: over the rivers and canals in German
q and France and England. and II Is ais
8 certain that the existence Of such meth
n DDS of traffic materially affects the rate
e which the railroads charge. and 1t is tn
8 best regulator of those rates that "
y have, not even excepting the govern
mental regulation through the interstat
II commerce commission. For this reason
n hope that this congress will take sue
e steps that 1t may be called the inaugu
= rator of the new system of inland wateI
q ways For reasons which 1t is not nee
essary here to state. congress has see
e fit to order an investigation into the II
terror department and the forest servic
> of the agricultural department The r.
y suits of that investigation are not needle
'e TO determine the value of. and the M
cessity for. the new legislation which
~ have recommended in respect 70 the pull
&c lie lands and in respect to reclamation.
earnestly urge that the measures be tai
y en- up and disposed of promptly withol
N awaiting the investigation which has bee
!. determined upon.
= WILLIAM n. TAFT.