The Southern herald., 1911-05-19

A4huseApS, Ddl nave been
rendered practically obso-
ete IN a commercial sense by the
building Of railways. He sees barges
upon them. to be sure, and in winter
ne is delighted by the sight Of the
people Of Holland skating along the
frozen water courses. But he would
be astonlshed If he knew the import
ant part the canals and canalized
rivers. play in the economic life OF
European nations.
Canals, as they we're originally con-
structed. cannot compete with rail-
roads, but as the latter have spread
over the land. the waterways have
been altered to meet the new eondl-
tons. Their chief mission in these
days Is to connect the centers of pop-
ulation and Industry with the coasts
TO make them seaports-and this has
been accomplished to an extent that IS
surprising to the uniformed
The pressure Of International com.
petition Is mainly responsible for the
extensive Improvement Of waterways
In the continental European countries
that have the highest degree Of indus
trial development. Every manufac.
turing country, district or city. II It is
to prosper, must be able to meet this
competition and TO assemble materials
as cheaply as possible from all parts
OF the world, and be provided with
facilities for placing its goods cheaply
and readily upon the chief domestic
and foreign markets. The countries of
the continent, recognizing this, haze
adopted the policy Of providing with
equal care for the development Of both
railroads and waterways. In Great
Britain, on the contrary, with the ex.
ception OF two canals In Scotland. the
inland waterways, both rivers and
canals. have been improv ed and are
operated by corporations. The Brit.
ish government is considering the ad.
Visibility OF changing Its policy toward
waterways.
Of all the continental countriee.
France has spent the most on canal
navigation. Her extensive plans for
waterway development, adopted in
1879, provided for system by which
the waterways should be all connect.
ed with each other. and with the chief
centers Of population and industry
They are mainly owned or controlled
by the state but when In 1903 a law
was passed providing for the construc.
tion nf new waterways, It stipulated
that the beneficiary parties or locali.
ties must advance at least half of the
total cost. The interests making this
contribution are permitted to recouu
themselves from tolls or dues. and
from monopoly Of providing towage
or traction. Three canals, one from
Cette TO the Rhone, one from Mar
seilles to the Rhone, and one from
the coal fields to the Disc river-the
Canal du Nord--are now being con
etructed under these conditions.
The most important Of the CONNER
cial waterways of France Is the Seine
river and there is an immense traffc
upon 1t between Havre and Rouen and
Paris. At large expense It has beer
canalized and provided with locks apt
lateral canals, while other canals con
meet the river through its trihutarle,
with the Loire, the Rhone. the Rhine
the Meuse and the Scheldt. Anothe,
elaborate system of main and later
al canals that carries a vast tonnaR,
TO Paris connects the capital with
Dunkirk and GravelInes. and betwee,
Paris and the Belgian and Germa,
frontiers there is a perfect netyorl
Of waterways. The western and south
ern parts Of the country are nearly A
well provided with canals. The Cana
du Midi. which. running from Bor
ceanx to Cette, connects the Bay o
Biscay with the Mediterranean. en-
ables the former city to supply III,
whole Of southern France with tn
products Of foreign lands, and Of tn
French colonies which 1t imports.
In connection with this Canal d.
Midi, the French government has lon
under consideration most interestin
and important project-nothing les
than to convert the waterway into
ship canal by which sea-golng vessel
and the warships of France couI
pass from the Atlantic to the Med
terranean without being exposed I
the violent storms Of the peninsula
coast and without passing through th
Straits Of Gibraltar. The people q
France never lose sight Of the poss
bility Of war with Great Britain. an
this ship canal plan appeals to ther
especially because It would reliev
their navy from the necessity Z