The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-08
Further Legislation Proposal to
Protect the Former
i'm TRAFFIC COMPETITION
1t Is Also Proposed to Establish AMIGA
BILE Relations Between the Two
First Report of National Wa
terways Commission Out.

! Washington, D. c., April s,-Further
legislation to protect waterways against
railway competitions to establish am
icable relations between the two and to
promote federal cooperation with To-
cal interests in construction OF canals
are urged in the first report of
the national waterways commission
made public to-day.
The report declares that the federal
government within the comparatively
near future must inevitably assume con-
/ troll OF some features OF water power
regulation.
/ The commission recommends that
army engineers be assigned to super
wise the proposed canal to connect the
/ Ohio river near Pittsburg with Lake
| Eric when Sl0,000,000 cash and So, 100000
! in bonds are made available by the
communities interested. The secretary
of war, however, may demand that these
! amounts be increased. The commission
recommends that when work on the
canal is begun that Congress appropri-
ate for an adequate harbor in Indian
1 Creek on the Lake Erie end and to inn
prove the Ohio river in the Pittsburg
! district. These improvements are TO
be completed when operation OF the
canal begins but the government is not
to be required to buy any land and is
not bound to assume any financial re-
spcnsibilites whatever.
A survey for a canal from Lake Erie
Al. l. & IL. 4lsa
is recommended and the commission con-
Guided from its present information that
the most feasible route would be
through the Aaumee river by way of
Fort Wayne and that fourteen feet
would be a practical depth,
1t recommends increased power for
the Interstate commerce commission to
govern joint rates and through routes
between rail and water lines, TO compel
physical connection between them and TO
compel railways to charge less than To-
cal rates to all lake and river ports on
through traffic exchanged with domestic
boat lines.
Other recommendations are for legis-
lation to control public terminals fed
Gral participation with localities in food
control; prevention Of deforestation on
non-agricultural lands and reforestation
OF deRuded tractsi amendments Qf laws
controlling water power on navigable
streams and within the public domain.
The commission points TO the traffic
possibilities of the Lake Erie and Ohio
canal and says substantial reductions of
railroad rates may be expected to fol-
low its operation. The Lake Erie Mich-
gan canal would obviate the detour
around the Michigan peninsula and give
q more direct water route from Chi
cago TO New York
Legislation il necessary to prevent the
elimination OF water competition and to
prevent the raising of water rates under
railway control, in the opinion of the
commission. II believes the interstate
commerce laws are now insufficient to
preserve water transportation and fos
ter its growth 1t urges that every
water carrier in interstate commerce be
under control of the interstate com
merce commission to enable the COM
mission to establish through routes, joint !
rates and through bills OF lading, with /
out which, the commission believes, the !
OF water traffic will not |
be complete.
The report arraigns the inadequacy of |
water terminals and urges that further |
river and harbor improvements be avoid |
ell without assurances OF proper termi- |
mails on completion. Federal condemna-
tion of private property for public ter
minals is not recommended except where |
a locality establishes its inability to /
deal with the terminal problem.
1t is recommended that the federal /
government investigate and report to the
next session of Congress whether reser-
voirs are needed to supply water in the
dry season to operate present and pro-
posed locks and dams in the Allegheny, /
Monongahela and Ohio rivers and the
extent to which the federal government I
should participate. Each case of reser-
voir construction by the commissions
findings, should be considered on its mer-
its.
Other recommendations are to subject
mining entries TO the paramount right
OF water power uses; land entries TO the
right of construction OF transmission
lines or other works. and that the states
preservation Of forests and
reforestation OF their own lands, not
acquired by the government.
The commission recommends that
questions between operating water pow
er companies and consumers of their
products or service be left to state con-
troll, except where local power is in
adequate to protect public interest with
the understanding that within the com
paratively near future this feature of
its regulation must inevitably pass TO
the federal government"
The report is signed by Senator Bur
ton. the chairman; Senators Gallinger,
Smith of Michigan; Simmons, Lorimer,
Clarke Of Arkansas; and Representa-
lives Stevens, Michigan; Sparkman,
Florida; Moon, Tennessee; former SEN
ator Piles of Washington and former
Alexander Of New York,
and Wanger of Pennsylvania.