The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-01
WATERWAYS BIG !.
NATIONAL. ASSET
-. = g =. - - ~,
aoxERsMEsr GAN NO hosGEm
NEGLECT DEvEEoPMENr OF :
THEN TO FULLEST EXTENT.
----
PEOPLE ARE AROUSED
SENATOR SIMMONS SAYS OPENING
OF CANAL WILL SPELL LOWER
TRANSPORTATION RATES
ALL AROUND.
PEOPLE ARE AROUSED

'@e WASHINGTON, Augsass, 5 ..-.ssena-
tor Simmons. OF North Carolina. the
ranking DempcTRt- on. the. commit
tee on interoceanic canals, who was
one Of the three conferees on the
part OF the senate on the Panama
canal bill, and who ID an enthusiast
In the development Of our waterway
system, discussing the subject OF the
development of our harbors as q
means OF INTERPRETATION. said today:
Our coastiine 10 the greatest OF
any country in the world. while our
inland system OF rivers. lakes and
sounds Is incomporably superior to
that Of any other nation. While we
have developed TO high degree OF
efficiency many Of our seaports. and
our lake system, and have done some
thing towards Improvement of our
rivers. little has been done, compared
with what should have been done
and what ID necessary TO be done. to
develop these waterways to the high
ut point Of potentiafity. This neg
lect has not been because the peo-
pie do not realize the Importance
and value OF water transportation
both ~ q means Of cheap distribu-
ton and OF regulating and reducing
rail rates. but because Il was early
demonstrated that In the absence of
effective legislation to prevent rail-
road control of water carriers the
full benefit OF the Improvement and
development OF our waterways couid
not be realized.
People Convinced.
Notwithstanding this handicap in
the beneficial use OF our waterways,
the people have been 30 thoroughly
convinced of their importance both
n q medium OF transportation and
Of waterpower, that instead Of abat-
tHxu I'D 4yRt ats IT, Al - ~
these adverse conditions, relying upon
the future action Of congress to res
move these diniculties. the movement
for their greater development has
year by year grown and strengthen
ed. Real impetus was given to this
movement by the determination Of
the government to extend the coast
line Of the nation by linking together
the two oceans by q canal capable
Of floating the largest modern vessels.
through the Isthmus Of Pana ma.
That greatest OF world undertakings
II rapidly approaching completion.
1t u and not to much tosay that its
Icompletion win usher in new era
In the commercial intercourse be-
tween our eastern and western SEA-
boards and with. the nations Of the
earth. The new conditions thus cree
ated, added to tho old conditions with
re1erence 10 our water resources,
admonish W that the government
cannot without ignoring tt mani
fest duty. longer neglect to do what
fx1AE DO necessary to d6xesc1 70 their
FULLEST extent our waterways, to the
end that this great natural asses may
snbsefye fts wanted purpose In our
national system Of transportation.
Bennett Of Canal.
After providing In the canal bill
for the government OF the zone and
tbs Operation OF the canal. two ques-
TORS Of importance arose, one with
reference TO tolls on American ships,
the other with reference to the rail-
roads ownership OF vessels using the
canal. The two houses had disa-
greed upon these questions. and q
conference was held. The confereea
undertook to deal In a broad way
with these two problems, with the
! rcsNH that after a long discussion
-fus1r-rf- the cunfsrees Joined m A~ss,-