Evening journal., 1912-08-08
FIRST MOVE
TO BUY CANAL
Congressman Moore IntrOduC-
eS Resolution in House,
Making c. 6 D. Water
way Free
GIVES HIS REASONS
FOR The PURCHASE

WASHINGTON. Aug. S.-The first
move in Congress was made yester-
Jay to carry out the recommends
tons O fitch Agnus Commission and
It's recommendation for the govern
ment to purchase the Chesapeake and
Delaware Canal and to make that
waterway a free canal. Representa-
tive J. Hampton Moore. of Philadel-
phia, who has taken the greatest in
terest in promoting the inland water
ways along the Atlantic Coast, intro
duced in the House a resolution which
he declares is only preliminary to
the effort to get the government TO
buy the canal
Several years ago the President ap-
pointed a commission. with General
Felix Agnus, of Baltimore as chair
man, TO determine the pest route Tor
connecting the Chesapeake Bay and
the Delaware River. The commission
spent considerable time IN investigat-
ing various routes for q canal and
finally recommended that the govern
ment purchase the Chesapeake and
Delaware Canal widen and improve
il 80 as TO make a free canal. This
report has not been taken up by Con-
gress. but MT. Moore thinks # proper
al present to press the project to
completion. The resolution nitro
duced yesterday is as follows;
Resolved. That the Secretary Of
the Treasury be, and he is hereby.
directed to fully inform the House OF
Representative of the financial inter-
es' Of the United States in the Chesa-
peake and Delaware Canal, and Of
such proceedings as may have been
Instituted to protect the rights Of the
United States with respect hereto
The resolution will 20 10 the House
Committee on Rivers and Canals. and
Mr. Moore will use every effort for its
speedy report
In explanation Of his resolution.
Mr. Moore said:
The government is a stockholder
in the Delaware and Chesapeake
Canl, and TO that extent is responsible
for the delay in opening up this inn
portant waterway to tho free use Of
The public. In its present condition
the canal is simply picturesque an-
tique II is a positive hindrance 10
modern progress, since the tollcharges
upon 1t are practically prohibitive.
One steamship company whose boats
ply between Baltimore and Philadel-
phia uses the canal. but IL had TO
build It's ships to accommodate the
narrow locks and the shallow depths
Of the canal For some reason or
other We have been halted in every
oucrt to have this canal taken over
by the government or to have a new
canal paralleling IL constructed. It
IS fnquestionably the most available
INK IN the Atlantic deeper waterway
coastal project, and We Intend that
Congress and the people who are for
ever voting money into the Missis-
slppl Valley 10 restore leveos shall
know about IT,
We had hoped that the Rivers and
Harbors Committee would enable us
TO go forward with the work this year.
but have been disappointed, and my
resolution is preliminary to further
steps that will be taken with view
of relieving commerce which would
like TO use the canal, but is unable to
do so. The existing canal Is but a
little over 13 miles long. but II con-
meets up the Chesapeake and Della
ware Bays and saves sailing distance
from Philadelphia TO Baltimore round
Cape Charles of 325 miles. In the
region of this canal there is more
commercial traffic in one year than
will pass through the Panama Canal
in ten years The Atlantic Deeper
Waterways Association, which holds
its fifth annual convention at New
London during the first week Of Sep
tember. is behind this movement and
Will give IL its cordial supDort