Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-04-10
Waterways Commission Wants
Protection against Rail.
road Competition
Wants Army Engineers to
SUPERVISE Channel From
Ohio River TO Lake
Interstate Commerce Laws
Not Sufficient TO Preserve
Water Traffic
BY Associated Press.

UQlCl LULU
BY Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, April 10.-Furthel
legislations to protect waterways
against railway competition; to estab
lish amicable relations between the
two and to promote federal co-opera.
ton with local interests in construc.
ton Of canals are urged in the first
report of the national waterways com.
mission made public today.
The report declares that the federal
government within the comparatively
near future must inevitably assume
control of some features of water pow
err regulation.
Connect Ohio River With Lake Erie.
The commission recommends that
army engineers be assigned to super.
wise the proposed canal to connect the
Ohio river near Pittsburg with Lake
Erie when 1000, 900 cash and IS ,0O0,-
600 in bonds are made available by
the communities interested. The Sec
rotary of war, however, may demand
that these amounts be increased. The
commission recommends that when
work on the canal is begun that con-
gress appropriate for an adequate har-
Dir in Indian creek on the Lake Erie
end and to improve the Ohio river in
the Pittsburg district. These i'm
provements 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 as
sumo any financial responsibilities
whatever.
A survey for a canal from Lake
Erie to the southern end of Lake Mich
igan is recommended and the com.
mission concluded from its present in
formation that the most feasible
route would be through the Maumee
river by way of Fort Wayne and that
fourteen feet would be a practical
depth.
More Power for Commission.
It 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 compel railways to charge
less than local rates to all lake and
river ports on through traffic ex-
changed with domestic boat lines.
Other recommendations are for leg
islation to control public terminals;
federal participation with localities in
flood control; preventin Of deforesta-
ton on non-agricultural lands and re-
forestation of denuded tracts; amend
ments of laws controlling water power
on navigable streams and within the
public domain.
The commission points to the traf-
fic possibilities of the Lake Erie and
Ohio canal and says substantial reduc-
tions of railroads may he expected to
follow it's operation. The Lake Erie.
Michigan canal would obviate the de-
tour around the Michigan peninsula
and give a more direct water route
from Chicago to New York.
Commerce Laws Not Sufficient.
Legislation is 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. It be-
lieves the interstate commerce laws
are now insufficient to preserve water
transportation and foster its growth.
It urges that every water carrier in
interstate commerce be under control
of the interstate commerce commits
sion to enable the commission to es-
tablish through routes, joint rates and
through bills of lading, without which,
the commission believes, the rehabili-
tation of water traffic will not he
complete.
The report arraigns the made
qnacy Of water terminals and urges
that further river and harbor improve
ments be avoided without assurances
Of proper terminals on completion.
Federal condemnation Of private prop
erty for public terminals is not rec
commended except where a locality es.
tablishes its inability to deal with the
terminal problem.
Want Government to Investigate.
It is recommended that the federal
government investigate and report to
the next session Of congress whether
reservoirs are needed to supply water
In the dry season to operate present
and proposed docks and dams in the
Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio riv-
ers, and the extent to which the fed
eral government should participate.
Each case Of reservoir construction,
by the commissions findings, should
be considered on its merits.
Other recommendations are to sub
5ect mining entries to the paramount
right Of water power uses; land en-
tries to the right Of construction Of
transmission lines or other works, and
that the states undertake preservation
OF forests and reforestation Of their