Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-06-05
TO IMPROVE
/ OUR RIVERS

Washington, d. c., June 4.-Repre'
sentative Richard w. Austin OF the
Knoxville, Tenn, district, who resign.
ed the consulate at Glasgow, Scot.
land, to make the race for Congress,
Is an uncompromising advocate OF
river improvement, believing that wa.
ter transportation is one Of the solu'
tions of the high cost of living.
Realizing that a~ntagonistic camps
are springing up in Congress looking
to the prevention of floods which de.
vastated so large a section OF the
country during the early months OF
the year and approaching that diver
gent interests will endeavor to secure
legislation for pet projects during the
coming winter. Mr.. Austin sounds the
keynote for the advocates of river nav.
igatiOn.
I'VE want to do in this country what
they are doing in Germany by max
ing every river that possesses merit
IN artery for trade and commerce.
No transportation is cheaper than
water transportation and no agency
so effective for the reduction of rail.
road rates as the establishment OF
competitive water rates.
LAS far as the South is concerned
and especially Tennessee, and the
same thing will apply to every section
of the country, the improvement of
our WATERWAYS 'means the develop
ment of u resources. Let me cite a
concrete case. At the h~eadwaters
of the Cumberland we have coal, iron,
timber ana marble which could be
shipped by water, in their raw state
OF in the finished product. to the best
markets. 1t costs from $500 to $3.50
to ship a ton of marble or pig iron
By rail to st. Louis, Louisville, Gin.
cinnati and other points in the Ohio
and Mississippi Valleys, whereas by
the utilization of the Tennessee River
the same products could be shipped
to the same points at a cost of $3.50
per ton, a saving of two thirds.
"The southern furnaces are unable
to ship their pig iron to the Pacific
Coast, China and England because
the railroad rate from Birmingham
and other southern points is 1920 a
ton. The rate from China is $3.50 per
ton by water or a difference between
$4.2O and $40 per ton in favor of our
foreign competitors.
with the completion of the Panama
Canal and the utilization Of the south.
iern rivers we would have direct water
transportation for the output OF the
furahces OF the south to the Pacific
Coast Eand the rail rate of $10.220 per
ton on pig iron would be changed into
a $3.50 per ton rate by water, or a
saving of $40 per ton.
ut Is the salemn duty of congress
to appropriate sufficient sums OF
money to take in all the meritorious
rivers OF the country and by system
attic work make them do their meas
ure of transportation either through
locks and dams or slack water navi-
cation.
Zone of the crying mistakes of our
law makers is the insufficient amount
appropriated FOR our rivers, necessi.
tating long and tedious delays in the
projects in every way worthy of i'm.
prpyement,
The development of the interior
waterways of the country should be
put on a business basis by Congress
in order that the people of our day
and generation may be able to enjoy
the privileges of cheap t%ransporta.
ton.
ut is with a good deal of shame
that | am compelled to say that Amer.
lea is farther behind than any other
civilized country in the world in the
practical ana useful development OF
its interior rivers. If the Mississippi
had been located in England, Germany
or France it would have long since
had a 30 foot channel with effective
methods for the control of flood over
flows. f..
"Ey the right kind of river improve
ments, the Clyde. which l have been
told by Old citizens of Glasgow was
at one time SO shallow that you could
wade across it in summer, can now
float a M%auretania with 80 feet draft
and thousands of vessels are passing
from the e to Glalgow where
many of the worlds biggest ships have
been built. They brought the sea
to their doors and work shops and II
we are wise we will profit by the
experience Of these canny Scotchmen
we will bring the ocean to our mines
and farms and factories"