The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1910-09-02
GOOD FOR COUNTRY
IMPROVEMENT OF WATERWAYS
WILL DEVELOP RESOURCES
OF EVERY SECTION.
FREIGHT CARRIED CHEAPLY
Make a Direct Saving In Cost Of Trans
portatIon by the Water Routes, and
Indirectly Serve to Lower Railway
Carrying Rates.


GUS articles-and flcts and nSures
riven to support the claim-that wa
terways carry freight more cheaply
than the railways do or can. and that
they compel the railways TO carry
freight more cheaply than they otneF-
wise would, making a saving OF nun
dreds of millions of dollars year. even
under present conditions, and ndlcat
ing a vast increase in that saving II all
waterways should be improved. Ana
then the surprising assertion was
made that the surest way TO enlarge
the business and increase the prontS
Of the railroads OF the United States
is to improve the waterways OF the
limited States. The best guide TO the
future is the experience OF the past
SO let us see what has actually nap
pened to railways when waterways
have been improved.
That the improvements in the chan
nels and harbors of the lakes nave
been of great benefit, both to the rail-
WAYS which parallel their shores ana
to those which run from lake cities TO
the interior, is a fact so plain that
It needs no argument to support II.
There are no more prosperous ana
profitable roads In the country than
those that serve the region tributary
10 the lakes. But no one questions
the wisdom Of continuing the improve
ment of the lakes, or OF our ocean
harbors. The real question is as to
the improvement of our rivers. and II
we wish to study the effect OF river
Improvement, either on railway reVe-
nues or national development, we
must go to Europe.
Results In Bohemia.
During the fifteen years that i'm
provements were under way on the
Elbe river, in Bohemia, the river traf-
fc as a natural result of the better
channel, increased flvefold. But traf-
tic on the competing railways in
creased S>ill more largely and the div
| blends on the main line, from Teplttz
to Aussig, rose to 16 per cent. per
annum.
Similar results followed the canali-
cation of the River Main, from May
ence, on the Rhine, to Frankfort,
which was finished in the latter part
of 1885. The river trafac, which
amounted to only $4,000 tons In that
year, began to grow and has kept on
growing, being 1,273,O00 tons in 1902
There are two railroads between
Frankfort and Mayence, one on each
side of the river. What happened ia
them? Did their business show a Sc
rious falling OF? Or were they forced
into the hands Of a receiver? On the
contrary their trafic, which was GIL,
900 tons in 1886, also began to grow
and by 1902 had reached 1,9O9,00C
tons, or more than double what 1t was
, when the railroads had a practica
: monopoly of the business of Frank
: fort.
The mere statement of the in
; creased tonnage does not tell thu
! whole truth Of the matter. for thu
tonnage was not only more that
doubled In quantity, but great!
raised in grade, so that 1t could pay
and did pay, a much higher rate pc
ton per mile.
Fine German Waterways.
Practically all the railways Of Ger
many are state owned and state oper
ated. Out OF a total of $4,000 miles
: in round numbers. only about $50
: miles are operated by private com
; panles Germany also has one of tn
finest systems Of waterways in tn
: world, and a study Of the balanc
sheet of the German railway system
shows that the results which followe
{ the improvement of the River Mai
J are not an exception, a mere csinci
dence, but are the natural outworkin
! of a principle of general application
In the calendar year 1907, after payin
for operation, maintenance, repairs
renewals, new equipment, interest o
bonds, contribute. to the sinkin
r fund, and every other item which tn
| most careful bookkeeping required
t be charged up, the German railway
=? turned 1854, 900, 900 of absolutely ne
+ revenues into the treasures of tn
D various states. This was $1,000 pc
I mile Of line operated. while the corr
spending figure on United States raj
8 ways for the fiscal year 1867 wa
+ only $1,s67-a little over one-third 6
Z much.
Much the greater part Of the tot
G revenue OF the German states is d
) rived from their railways, II cents oil
) of every dollar received by Prussia
1907 being 80 obtained. Yet Germa
L statesmen keep on. year after yea
J. spending money earned by their ra
K ways In building and improving waite
d ways to compete with those same "a
t. ways. on which they depend as Il
principal source of national incom
$ In the light Of the facts given abo'
d 1t will not do to say that these &c
n man statesmen do not know what thu
y are about. On the contrary. they a
d acting. as has been we'll said. I'm ~
8 therance Of q policy the wisdom
8 which time and experience have ful
II confirmed"
r Always and everywhere the rest