The Carlisle independent., 1910-01-20

they would relieve the railroads or sup plement them in respect to the bulkier and cheaper comm oGities is a matter Of conjecture No enterprise ought to be undertaken the cost Of which is not def jnitely 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 d waterway has been developed so that the plans have been drawn. the cost definitely estimated. and the traffic which will be accommodated is reason ably probable l think 1t is the duty or congress to undertake the project and make provision therefor in the proper ap propriation bill.
 One of the projects which answers the description l have given is that of intro ducing dams into the Ohio river from Pittsburg 10 Cairo. so as to maintain at all seasons of the year by slack water, a 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 SO The re- maining cost is known to be S63,000,0o0.
 It seems to me that in the development of our inland waterways it would be wise to begin with this particular project and carry it through as rapidly as may be. I assume from reliable information that 1t can be constructed economically III ten years. l ICtOIlI4itHl. tuGIttOie e that the public lands. in river and har bor bills, make provision for continuing contracts to complete this improvement and l shall recommend in the future. if it be necessary, that bonds be issued to carry 1t through.
 What has been said os the Ohio river is true in a less complete way of the lm- provement of the upper Mississippi from St. Paul to St. Louis to a constant depth of six feet. and Of the Missouri, from Kansas City to St. Louis to d constant depth of six feet and from St. Louis to 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 lm- provement.
 As these improvements are being made and the traf1c 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 if the neces- sty for it shall appear to arise out of the traffic which can be delivered on the river at Cairo.
 Cheap Rail Rate Necessary.
 l am informed that the investigation by the waterways commission in Europ shows that the existence of a waterway by no means assures traffic unless there is traffic adapted to water carriage al cheap rates at one end or the other of the stream. It also appears in Europe that the depth of the streams is rarely more than six feet. and never more than nine. But it is certain that enormous quantities of merchandise transported over the rivers and canals in Germany and France and England. and it is also certain that the existence of such meth ods of traffic materially affects the rates which the railroads charge, ard 1t is the best regulator of those rates that we have. not even excepting the govern mental regulation through the interstate commerce commission. For this reason, I hope that this congress will take such steps that it may be called the insugu- rator of the new system of inland water ways For reasons which it is not nec- essary here to state, congress has seen fit to order an investigation into the in- terior department and the forest service of the agricultural department. The suits of that investigation are not needed tn determine the value of, and the ne- cessty for. the new legislation which have recommended in respect to the pub lie lands and in respect to reclamation. I earnestly urge that the measures be talk en up and disposed of promptly without awaiting the investigation which has been determined upon.
 WILLIAM H. TAFT.