The Delta independent., 1910-11-25
SAVING OF MILLIONS
WHAT COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM
OF WATERWAYS IMPROVE
MENT MEANS TO FARMERo.
FIGURES TO SUPPORT FACTS
On Shipments Of Grain Alone the oL
rect Return Would Mean $1oo.ooo,-
600, and Proportionately All Other
Products Would Be Affected.

In a former article we gave facts and
figures to prove that, II the compre-
hensive plan of waterway improve
ment advocated by the National Riv-
ers and Harbors congress were car
ried out, the direct return to the farm
ers of the country. on the single item
of grain, would certainly be 100000
900 a year-and probably would be
more than twice that sum.
But grain Is not the only Item on
which the faRners would receive
benefit The fact is that for the farm
ers-and everybody else, for that mat
ter-the cost of transportation iniu-
ences practically everything he buys.
sells, eats, wears or uses In any way
whatever, except water. air and sun
shine. The average man is inclined to
laugh when told that he pays out more
for transportation than he does for
taxes or because Of the tarin-bnt his
laughter does not alter the fact In the
least
There are three principal methods
of transportation. the wagonway, the
railway and the waterway. and there
is SO great a difference In the cost OF
transportation by these different meth
ods that It is worth while to study the
matter a little. The experts of the
good roads bureau estimate the cost
OF hauling a ton of freight one mile
by horse and wagon on the average
road in the United States at IS cents.
The cost on a thoroughly good. smooth
road might be reduced to 10 cents.
So.
mile as the average price received by
the railways In 1907. while the Official
records kept at the 500 show that the
average rate on the freight carried
into and out of Lake Superior In the
same year WAS only g of one mill.
Facts In . kutsheII.
You can better understand what
in another way. They mean that II
you have dollar to spend in shipping
. ton Of freight you can send Il
miles on an average road. 10 miles on
. frst-class road. 127h miles on . rail-
road. and 1880 miles on . lake vessel
II II very easy to see that good
roads are Z lot better than poor roads
but that transportation by horse and
wagon 10 too costly at the best to b.
used except for small loads and short
dista1ces. So tar ~ interstate trAmc
IL concerned the wagon road must be
left entirely out Of consideration. Il
IL just ~ easy to see what . great
benent would result from tho building
was none before. and that Q still
improving . river that II 10 made
dependably navigabls when Il was not
10 before.
Waterways increase prosperity In
three principal ways. viz: direct saw
ing. indirect saving. and by what may
be called a creative effect. The direct
saving is that which occurs on goods
actually carried by water. and some
facts which Indicate how great this di.
rect saving il. will also make more
plain the vast difference between the
cost of transportation by rail and by
water.
Through the 500 canal at the out
let OF Lake Superior there were car.
ried In 1907. 58.2i7.214 tons OF freight.
This was carried an average distance
Of $3.50 miles at an average cost of
8 OF one mill per ton-mile. II this
had been shipped by rail at the aver
age railway rate for that year (7.82
mills). its. transportation would have
cost S33S. .633.36 more than was paid
for its carriage by water.
The total freight carried on all
lakes that year was. In round num-
bers. 100000. 900 tons. This vast ton.
mage was carried for $3.50 100000 less
than II would have cost to send II by
rail. and the improvements. which pro.
duce a saving large enough to pay OF
the national debt In less than two
years. cost only 385.000.000.
Proof Of Good Results.
Wouldn't you call that q pretty fair
dividend on the Investment And don't
you think It would pay to improve all
our waterways as fast and a. far a.
we can?
"But" says some one. what reason
IL there to suppose that improved riv.
ers would give anything like as good
results as have been obtained on the
lakes" That II a proper question and
Is entitled to an answer.
The only waterway in this country
which has been improved as q whole
is composed Of the four lakes above
Niagara Falls. but there are many i'm.
proved rivers in Europe. From care
full study Of the results obtained on
these rivers the army engineers esti-
mate that when the Improvement OF
the Ohio river is finished. freight can
be carried thereon for one-half mill
per ton-mile. That means that the
dollar which will carry a ton 127h
miles by rail and 1880 miles by lake.
will carry II 1900 miles by river.
Cost Of transportation will vary on
different rivers with depth. width,
aWfffnoaa ~ c,,rraut atr h,,t Tho N.