The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-12-16

waterways. When TO this saving IS
added the influence these improve
ments have exerted over railroad
transportation, the freight tonnage Of
which amounts now to more than
one billion tons per annum, it will
be seen that the people have been
we'll repaid for the large outlay by
the federal government, even though
not all the waterways thus improved
have shown satisfactory results so
far as increased traffic is concerned
AS before stated, there are not
many such instances as compared
with the whole number of projects
undertaken by the government
Among those most prominently men
| toned by critics of waterway i'm
/ provement are the Illinois and Mis-
| sissippi canal, commonly known rs
the Hennepin canal, and the Missou-
ri and Mississippi rivers. But there
have been in each case peculiar and
| local reasons for the failure of the
| waterway to respond in commercial
| development to the improvement
made, which will doubtless be remov-
ed in the future.
The HennepIn canal was, perhaps,
constructed too far in advance of any
commercial demand for the same, but
| it is a substantial structure, easy of
maintenance, and will doubtless last
| for an indefienite period. In the
meantime, the country tributary to
| the canal is developing, farm and
other products are increasing, freight
| tonnage on the waterway is growing
the whole suggesting that in a few
years it will meet the hopes and ex-
pectations of its designers.
| The amount of money spent upon
the Missouri river is not large when
| the length and Importance of that
stream are considered, but it has not
been in condition to develop a COM
merce in competition with the rail
J roads paralleling its banks, since the
work of Improvement laid out by the
engineers has never been carried to
been resumed, however, and congress
has expressly determined to complete
the project for the lower river-that
portion between Kansas City and its
mouth-within ten years.
1t is hard to believe that the glory
Of this great waterway has departed
never to return. Traffic is already
growing on the upper river, and ar
rangements have been. perfected TO.
the utilization of its lower part, bas-
| ed upon congressional assurance that
/ the work will be done within the
time named With the completion OF
existing projects and the growth and
development of the country tributary
to this great river, there is every rea
tant commerce will again seek its
waters
1 g A great deal. of money, it is true
Mas been expended on the Mississippi
:
or waterway in the country, while its
commerce has fallen off from that OF
a few years ago. But that river has
been placed, and properly so, too, in :
class by itself 1t is nayigable fol
two thousand, four hundred and thir
ty miles and, with its tributaries
!, drains forty-one per cent. of our con
!, tinental domain, while the waters
from thirty states are poured into its
lower reaches.
!, The Panama canal will soon be
completed and open to traffic, which
should have stimulating influence
upon all the gulf ports and rivers
; and especially upon that great water
way and its magnificent system o
tributary streams. These considera
tions have kept alive a sentiment il
favor of its continued improvement
by the federal government, and thar
too, in face of a constantly dwindling
commerce. This feeling has recently
found expression in the platforms o.
the great political parties of the coun
try in which they substantially pledge
themselves to continue to final com
pIetion the improvements already be
gun. The government is even doing
there what it is not doing elsewhere
assisting the states and localitie;
in the building of levees-but thi;
work is being done on the theory tha
it improves the navigable features O
the stream. which is doubtless true Z
a certain extent.
While the work of improvement
had been going on for many year:
without any definite plan for finish
ing the work, congress, in the rive:
and harbor bill of 1910, embarked up
on a plan for the completion of the
project for the lower river within ,
period Of eighteen years. Meanwhile
projects for the improvement Of the
middle and upper sections of the riv