The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-04-08
IMPROVED WATfR
TRANSPORTATION
NATIONAL WATERWAYS COMMIS.
CION MAKES MANY IMP0R.
TANT RECOMMENDATIONS.

against railway cOmpetltlOus 10 cS-
tablish amicable relations between
the two and to promote federal CO.
operation with local interests in con-
structiOn of canals are urged in the
first report of the National Water
ways Commission made public to-
day.
Tho report declares that the fed
eral government within the COM
paratively near future must inevit-
ably assume control of some features
OF water power regulation. The COM
mission recommends that army en-
gineers be assigned to supervise the
proposed canal to connect the Ohio
river near Pittsburg with Lake Erie
when $4,000. 900 cash and $4,000
900 in bonds are made available by
tho communities interested. The Sec
retary 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
harbor in Indiana creek on the Lake
Erie end and to improve 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 re-
qulred to buy any land and Is not
bound to assume any financial re-
sponsiblities whatever.
A survey for canal from Lake
Erie to the southern end Of Lake
michigan Is recommended and the
commission concluded from Its pres
lent information that the most feasi-
BILE route would be through the
Maumec 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 be-
tween them and to compel railways
to charge less than local rates to all
lake and river ports on through traf-
fc exchanged with domestic boat
lines
Other recommendations are for
legislation to control public termi-
nails; federal participation with To-
calities In food control; prevention
of deforestatiOn on non-agricultural
lands and refOrestatiOn of denuded
tracts: amendments OF laws control.
ing water power on navigablc
streams and within the public do
main.
Il The commission points to the traf-
DC possibilities Of the Lake Erie and
Ohio canal and says substantial re-
ductions of railroad rates may be ex-
pected to follow its operation. Tho
Lake Michigan canal would OBJ
viate the detour around the Michi-
gan peninsula and give . more direct
water route from Chicago to New
York.
| Legislation is necessary to prev
vent the elimination of water COM
petition and to prevent the raising
OF water rates under railway control.
In the opinion Of the commission. 1t
believes 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 Com
merce Commission to enable the COM
mission to establish through routes.
joint rates and through bills of lad
ling, without whirh, the commission
believes, the rehabilitation of water
traffic will not be complete.
The report arraigns the inade-
quacy of water terminals and urges
that further river and harbor i'm
proycmenis be avoided without as
suranccs OF proper terminals on COM
plction. Federal condemnation of
private property for public termin-
ais is not recommended except where
Il lorality establishes its inability to
deal with the terminal problem.
II is recommended that the fed
"ral government investigate and re-
port TO the next session of Congress
whether reservoirs are needed to
supply water In the dry season to
operate present and proposed locks
and dams in the Allegheny, Monon-
gahela and Ohio rivers and the ex-