The Cairo bulletin., 1911-01-15
NOT At PRESENT
SAY ENGINEERS
LAkEs-To.GuLF DEEP WATER
wAY OPPOSED BY pREsI-
DENT TAFT's COMMISSION
PLAN FOUND ILLOGICAL
Co Operation oft All States Necessary
to Cary It into Effectr--Would
BE Waste OF Money
at Present.


Washington, Jan. 14.-As was gen
orally expected by those who know
something Of the attitude of the neG
composing the commission named by
President Taft to pass unon the
Lakes-to.Gnlf waterways propositioi,
that body is understood TO have
|agree upon report declaring against
the scheme.
The commission recently took a
trip over the proposed water way
route and the meeting IN Chicago Ia
to compile report to congress On
the findings.
Conclusions Reached.
The conclusions which the engf
|neers reached after an exhaustive HI
quiry are said to be:
That the water way scheme is not
needed and is imTracticahle.
That such project II ont OF the
question, unless all states and bodies
work In conjunction and slnultane-
ously in appropriating money ani
drawing up plans.
That the present canai rs sufficien.
for all purposes and does not ne.d
Improvement.
That the proposed expenditure Of
SEQ, 100000 by Illinois would be illosi-
cal and waste df money.
The commission has worked dIlg-
gently In making Ats investigation.
Before the work of compiling the re-
l port was undertaken yesterday Isham
Randolph. representing Governor De-
neen. introduced the new administta-
tion deep water way bin before the
commission and explained Its merits
The bill is pending In the state legis-
lature. The commission heard one
other person, Attorney Edward T. Ca
hill. before the consideration Of the
report was taken up.
Commission Cites ITS Trip
According to the information
gained after yesterdays session, the
government commission has decided
that while the lakes-to-gulf project
is physically practlcai, It Is imprac-
ticable at this time because the I'M
provements are not needed, They
will cite the fact, 1t Is said, that
streams OF Illinois used for naviga-
ton need little improvement. Tie
LockportUtca stretch along the Ill.
nois river, where Illinois proposes to
expend $2000)O00, recently author
lied, will be given SPECIAL mention In
the report, which, II is said, win
point out that the steamer Robert r.
which carried the investigating com
mission, nayigated the waters from
Lockport to Utica and thence 10 81.
Louis and down the river 100 miles
! without trouble
Drop In the Bucket.
The commission, II rs indicated,
has decided that the Appropriation OF
Illinois while generous, would be bu.
"a drop in the bucket in the expea-
diture which the project would entail
II was pointed out by one membe-
that Illinois s20,00O,0o0 would be cx-
nended merely in deepening the ilIi-
nois river to twenty-fonr feet, nr
thereabouts to its mouth, while the
dredging Of the Mississippi river
would cost five times that sum.
Randolph Is Hopeful
"The old adage. While there ID lifa
there Is hope holds good In this
case Mr. Randolph said.
He would not make further comment
except to say that he bal been before
the commission only rev minutes
and had ben called mcre.y 10 present
the new administration bill 10 the ir-
yestigating body.
The members of the commission at
| tending the meeting are Brigadier
General William II. Bixby, chief CT
stan OF engineers: John Bogert, Sec
retary Of the American Society of
Civil Engineers OF New York Col
onel G. VI Townsend. Detroit: Mai3r
Charles Keller, Rock Island. ami Ma
Tor J, T. Kayanaugh of Washington.