Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-21
President in Cincinnati
Address Urges I'm
pr0Vement.
AS CHECK ON ROADS
President Guest for the Day of
the Ohio Valley ExpoSi-
tion Officers.

cincinnati, o., Sept. 21.-Presideut
Taft, on the occasian of the opening of
the Ohio river dam this afternoon, ad-
dressed a great crowd in Music hall.
He reviewed the history of Cincinnati,
its growth and prospects, and then
discussed water communication, espe-
cially improvements of rivers and its
Importance to commerce. He declared
that II navigation OF the Ohio and Mis-
sissippi rivers were made practical and
more economical than railroad com
munication, there would be much
greater trade along these rivers than
now exists.
Need Terminals, Also
! He referred to the report OF the
waterways commission, which found
the chief din1culty in making a sue
cess of water transportation is the
cost of terminal or transfer charges
wherever the destination Of freight re-
quires the use of both river and rail-
road The commission found that a
great deal Of money and time will be
spent in the perfection Of terminals
for river transportation, and they also
found an entire absence OF such ter
minals on many navigable rivers.
Must Handle Economically.
Then again the commission found
that in localities where water borne
traffic has increased careful and elab-
crate provision has been made for
handling freight in the most sconomI-
cal manner. He referred TO many ad-
vantages railroads possess over water
routes in transportation, of freight. and
declared that to meet these, rver
transportation men must devote their
attention TO overcoming the disadvan-
tages as to terminal and transfers in-
volved in the variation of river levels.
Try 10 Drive From Business.
The president spoke on the fact that
the railroads cut traffic rates where
ever there is water competition, thus
discouraging river business. He also
pointed out that they raise rates as
soon as the river business has been
thus suppressed. Provision has been
made, he continued, in the railway act
passed at the last session Of congress
which will prevent railways from
adopting this device OF destroying
river competition. The truth is, that
with the new development Of river
business II will be possible to give
power to our interstate commerce
commission TO make regulations for
joint traffic between rivers and rail-
ways that will greatly encourage the
continuance of river business, for II
we would use our waterways in the
most economical manner, there must
be friendly cooperation, as the water
ways commission points out, between
those engaged in transportation on
water and those by rail.
Done Effectively Abroad.
Concurrent and point operation OF
railways and water carriGge is much
better regulated abroad than il is here,
and we have a great deal to learn in
this regard which wlIx,n studied out,
can be embodied in a positive statute.
One of the great hindrances to the
success OF the Improvement OF watSi-
WAYS has Iseen the delay incident 10
the completion of each project. That
has grown out of the method pursued
in framing river and harbor appropria7
tion bills.
Engineers Must Approve.
tie tnen reviewed III IOuuudDDul way
the improvements planned to be inves-
tigated and finally ordered or rejected
and continued: Each project comes
before congress either rejected or ap-
proved and il is left TO the committee
to determine which Of these approved
shall be taken and which shall be
passed by or delayed. II Is a rule fair
~ we'll observed by the committee on
rivers and harbors that no project
which has not received the approval Of
the board Of engineers shall be APP
proved and adopted.
Little Left for Each.
''As these waterways improvements
are to be carried on IN upwards OF
two-thirds of the congressional dis
tricts IL can be readily understood why
there is pressure from representatives
In congress who have every project
that is approved appropriated for. The
is that in their desire TO
satisfy the claims of all the amount
available from the current revenue is
divided uD and appoTtioned between
all the various enterprises that have
received the approval of the engineers.
This is done with every little regard -
the comparative merits of the different
and IL has a tendency
to delay every important movement
TContInued on Pare TcirhG)