Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-06


priation, but said he expected the bill to
be satisfactory to the entire country. He
expressed the hope that Congress would
not adjourn without adopting compre-
hensive scheme of waterways improve
ment.
The conditions of South American
trade, now controlled by English Ger
man. Italian and French commercial in
terests, were set forth by DR. kinley.
He won applause by declaring that the
American could drive them all out
whenever he chose to go after the Dusi-
ness.
System of Connected Waterways.
A system of connected waterways for
the United States was advocated by
President Joseph F. Ronsdell, in his an
nual address. On this subject he said
"One Of the greatest advantages and
conveniences possessed by the railway
is the fact that car can be started
from any station in the United States
and it's load carried without breaking
bulk to any other station in the United
States. The efficiency and the value of
our waterways would be vastly null
tiplied If they were Joined into COM
prehensive, connected system.
Il believe the time has come to ask
that the main features Of such sys-
tenn shall be decided upon, and that
not as an isolated project, but also in
it's relations to the entire system. Some
day it will be possible to start a barge
from Boston and send it to Chicago or
Duluth. to Jacksonville. New Orleans
or Brownsville to any point upon the
rivers running into the Atlantic ocean
or the Gulf of Mexico, TO Texarkana
on the Red. to Knoxville on the Ten
nessee, to Nashville on the Cumberland,
to Pittsburgh on the Ohio, to st. Paul
to Fort Benton on the Missouri.
This leads to the further suggestion
that the waterways of the country should
be classified and that standard dimen-
siOns be adopted for the locks and other
permanent structures upon the streams in
each class. This would enable boats adapt
err to the smallest channel decided upon
to go freely over every part OF the sys-
tenn while. of course, streams OF larger
class would have larger structures adapt
ed to the use Of the larger boats which
would ply upon their waters.
Supplemental to Railways.
Regarding the opposition of railway
interests to the Improvement of the
waterways he said:
1.-The waterway movement is conceived
in no spirit of hostility to railways.
WATERWAYS are designed not to supplant
but TO supplement the highways of steel.
The question we are asking the people of
the United States to consider is not
whether we shall have waterways or
railways, but whether we shall have
WATERWAYS in addition to railways
The prosperity of railways depends
upon the prosperity of the people; the
greatest promoter of prosperity is cheap
TRANSFORMATION: the cheapest of all trans
portation is that by water. and the best
thing that can happen To Il railway is TO
have frst-claSS naviSaDle waterway
nara,leIing every mile of its tracks.
Wisdom of Continuing Contracts.
I'VE are within sight of the completion
of the greatest engineering work of all
time-the Panama canal. If it was wise
TO place this great waterway under con
tinuing contract so that work on it might
proceed uninterruptedly until it should
be finished. why would it not be at least
equally wise to adopt the same method
at home, SO that the work upon the wa
terways within our own borders may De
steadily prosecuted until 1t shall be fin
ished?
There are certain most important
projects upon which work has been under
way for more than twenty-five years
and which will be of no value as chan
| nels of through navigation until the en-
| tire plan is completed. We must not for.
get that we are losing the interest on TIL,
| large sums which have been already in
vested. Even IL bonds had been ISSUED
| and the work pushed to rapid completion
as has been so widely done in regard t.