University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1910-09-21
PRHI11|T TAFT
HITS PORK BAI'
i. s#
AddRss mt Cincinnati Gele-
bratien Of Ohio River III
Improvement.
.z..f: :.l.-- is!s:
RAILS UNFAIR METHODS
Time for the ". ork Should be:
Shortened from Twelve
to Six Years.
RAILS UNFAIR METHODS
EBy United Press.

CINCINNATI, Sept. 2I.-In a deter
mined attack on the present PORK
barrel" system OF river improvements
appropriations, President Taft, In
speech here said in part: &c,
To-day you are celebrating the
o"ening OF another great improve
ment which must in the future have
much to do with the business growth
of the city. l mean the Improvement
OF the Ohio river from Pittsburg to
Cairo. 1t is to this improvement that
II shall direct my remarks 60 &
1.-THE waterways commission points
out that in localities where water
borne traffic has increased, as on the
Great Lakes, careful and elaborate,
provision has been made for the hand:
ling Of freight in the most economicaf
manner. An examination shows that
the average rate of speed Of rail-
road car loaded with freight is not
much greater than would be the speed
of a tug boat and barges on one Of our;
rivers; and If we could have d river
navigable at all times Of the year at
the same depth, there would seem to
be no reason why schedules could not
be made quite as regular as those 'upr
on railways.
zone of the great reasons for de-
crease in river transportation has been
the competition ct ,railways,s.ph Heal
advantages. More than this, these
traffic managers of railways have Low.
cred their own traffic rates where
there is water competition until the
river business has been entirely d..
couraged, and then raised the ratlB
when the; river business has been TINS
suppressed. Provision has been made
in the railroad act passed at the Mkt
session of congress, which will pre-
vent railways adopting this device Of
destroying river competition. The
truth is, that with the new devel.
opment Of river business, 1t will -be'
possible to give power to our inter
state commerce commission to make
regulations for the joint traffic be-
tween rivers and railways that will
greatly encourage the continuance Of
the river business, for if we would use
our waterways in the most economical
manner, there must be friendly Co
operation, as the waterways commits
sion points out, between those. engaged
in transportation on water and those
by rail. =
Do Work in Six Years, Says Taft. ],
1.-THE cost of the improvement Of
the Ohio river is to be upwards of
$63 100000. The plan Is TO appro-
pirate sufficient money each year 80 as
to complete all the work in IL years.
l wish that congress had arranged to
expend the money in tlessi time ma
complete this work, for its complel
ftion is not alone important; for the i'm
mediate benefit that 1t will confer COM
mercially in the Ohio valley, but it ia
important to ,vindicate or to .discour.
age further Investments of this kind
in other directions. Il hope the time
may come in the not distant future
when the plan for completing this
Ohio river improvement shall be
changed SO as to make the time SIX
years for completion instead Of twelve
One of the great ,hindranees to .th'
success Of the improvement Of our wa
terways has been the delay inciden
to the completion Of each project. Tha
has grown out Of the method pursue,
in framing the river and harbor ar
preparations bills.