Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1910-01-15
TAFT'S MESSAGE
ON CONSERVATION
CONTINUED from Page b

sissippi river, with the Missouri on
the one hand and the Ohio on the
other, would seem to offer a great
natural means of interstate trans
portation and traffic. How far, if
properly improved, they would re-
lieve the railroads or supplement
them in respect to the bulkier and
cheaper commodities is a matter of
conjecture. No enterprise ought to
be undertaken, the cost of which
is not definitely ascertained and
the benefit and advantage of which
are not known and assured by COM
petent engineers and other author
ity When, however project of
definite character for improvement
OF a waterway has been developed
so that plans have been drawn, cost
definitely estimated and traffic,
which will be accommodated, is
reasonable probable, | think it is
the duty of congress to undertake
the project and make provision
therefore in the proper appropria-
ton bill.
One project, which bears the
description | have given, is that of
introducing dams into the Ohio
river from Pittsburg to Cairo, 50
as to maintain at all seasons of
the year, by slack water, depth
of nine feet. Upwards of seven
of these dams have already been
constructed and six are under con-
struction, while the total required
is fifty. The remaining cost is
known to be $63,O00,OO0.
1t seems to me that in the de-
velopment of our inland water
ways it would be wise to begin
with this particular project and
carry it through as rapidly as may
be. I assume from reliable in
formation that it can be construct
ed economically in ten years. II
recommend, therefore, that the
present congress, in the river and
harbor bill, make provision for con-
tinuing contracts to complete this
and | shall recon-
mend in the future, if it be neces-
sary, that bonds be issued to carry
it through.
What has been said of the Ohio
river is true in a less complete wayl
of the improvement of the upper
Mississippi from ST. Paul to st.
Louis, to a depth of six feet, and
from st. Louis to Cairo of depth
of eight feet These projects have
competent boards of army engi-
neers, their cost has been estimat-
ed, and there is business which
will follow the improvement.
AS these improvements are being
made and traffic encouraged by
them shows itself of sufficient i'm
portance, the improvement of the
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 necessity for it shall
appear to arise out of the traffic
which can be delivered on the river
at Cairo.
I am informed that the investi-
cation of the waterways commits
sion in Europe shows that the ex-
istence of a waterway by no means
assures traffic unless there is traf-
fic adapted to water carriage at
cheap rates at one end or the other
of the stream.
1T also appears in Europe that
the depth of the streams is rare
ly more than six feet, and never
more than nine. But it is certain
that enormous quantities of mer-
chandise are transported over riv-
ers and canals in Germany and
France and England, and it is also
certain that the existence of such
methods of traffic materially af-
fects the rates which railroads
charge and it is the best regulator
Of those rates that we have, not
even excepting governmental regu-