The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-06-24
MEAN LOWER RATES
Infect OF WATERWAY COMPETI
TON ON THE RAILWAYS OF
THE COUNTRY.
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SAVING
Conservative Estimate 10 That In q
Single Year II Would De Moro Than
Enough to Discharge the Entire Ma
tlonal Debt.

Enough to Discharge the Entire Ma
tlonaI Debt.
It was stated in a previous article
that waterways produce both direct
and indirect savings in the cost OF
transportation and also exert what
may be called a creative effect. AS
an instance of the direct saving 1t
was shown that the 5000 900 tons OF
freight handled on the great lakes
In 1907 were carried for $3.50, 100000
less than it would have cost by rail
II the opinion of the United States
army engineers is correct-and this
opinion Is based upon results actually
achieved on the rivers of Europe
We have a number Of rivers on which
when properly improved, freight can
be carried for less than on the lakes
and many rivers on which 1t can be
carried for much less than by rail.
II. therefore, the plan advocated by
the National Rivers and Harbors
congress should be carried out-which
includes the improvement of all our
rivers to such extent as shall be found
advisable after expert examination
the direct saving In cost OF transporta-
ton would be vastly increased. It
would probably be increased tenfold,
but II 1t were only doubled the direct
saving in q single year would be more
than enough to pay off the national
debt.
But this Is not the end of the bene
dts which the general improvement OF
our waterways would bring, 1t is only
the beginning. Beside the direct say
ing there Is an indirect saving which
results from the effect Of waterways
on railway freight rates, for rates
are always lower on railroads which
meet water competition than on those
which do not. The amount of this say.
Ing is not everywhere the same, owing
to difference In conditions, but we
can get 4 good general idea of 1t from
q study Of some sample instances.
Freight Rates Affected.
Freight rates from New York to
Salt Lake or Spokane are much high
er than to San Francisco or Seattle,
although the distance is much less, be-
cause goods can be carried to the Pa
cfic coast by water, around Cape
Horn, while there is no waterway Of
1t Is not the ocean alone that affects
railroad rates. Compare the rates on
first class merchandise to river towns
and inland towns situated about $50
miles from ST. Louis. Towns on tho
upper Mississippi get rate OF 80
cents a hundred. inland towns pay SO
cents; towns on the Ohio pay II cents,
inland towns In the same region
pay 81.
still more striking instance, and
Dne showing the direct result Of wa
terway improvement, IL to be found
IN the Columbia river. Before the
ocks at the cascades were bull,
reight rates on nails, and that class
Il goods. from Portland to The Dalles /
we're $40 per ton. AS soon As the
ocks were finished and the steam
,oats could get through. the railroad
ate dropped to two dollars per ton
ess than one-third what it was before.
That the difference was due to the
liver Improvement is shown by tho
act that rates were not reduced be-
ond the point to which the steam
oats could run. For instance, the
ate on salt in car load lots was $3.50
er ton to The Dalles, and 5000 pei
OH to Umatilla- $3.50 per ton for the
miles with water competition and
per ton for the next 100 miles
'ithout. These rates have since been
educed as the Improvement has pro
eeded, and when the work Is finished
nd boats can run far up the Colum.
ia river and to Lewiston and other
oint In Idaho on Its principal tribu
Try, the Snake river, the people In
Il that region will benefit not only
= the direct saving on goods carried
Y water, but also by the indirect saw
Il through the reduced rate on goods
,rried by rail- Exactly similar re-
Its would follow the radical i'm {
'ovement of rivers all over the United !
tates.
Indirect Saving Large.
There is, however, no possible way c
finding out just how much this in
rect saving would be. Rates on soms
eight would be reduced greatly, on Z
me freight slightly, on some, per.
.ps, not at all But we can get some
ca Of the amount of freight which
light be Influenced. In the fiscal :
ar ending June 80. 1907. the total
Mount of freight handled by the Z
ilroads of the United States was q
I9G. 336,659 tons. Some of this was q
uled short distance, some a Ions 10
stance, and some was handled BY
ore than one road, but it was equal b
236,601 ,390,1O3 tons hauled one y
le. II the comprehensive improve q
mt of our waterways should make y
average reduction of one mill per n
,-mile-the difference IN the rates q
salt given above is 70 times a. n
lch. or seven cents per ton INLET q
Wild make saving of over 1926, 800. q
on the value OF BUSINESS handled II
the fiscal year. d
1t first glance, it looks as II that N
uld mean disaster to the railways. n
that is the exact opposite of the d
tn. Strange as 1t may seem, the 10
est and speediest way to enlarge bt
business and increase the profits p
the railways Of the United States .
to improve the WATERWAYS Of IL -
80 ufatna ~