The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-13

Sider the fact that during this ner;od
mere was something around * 900
nlies OF inland waterway under Gov
Improvement, the sum semes
pftlably inadequate.
! nave not the figures to show how
much Of this $4,000. coo was 800, ~
man! ienance OF rivers and II
am tnat a very considerable !
1T was used for this but
= me whole Of it had been used on
gu, rivers, II was less than a million
uoiiars TO a thousand miles of water
way.
we have spent more upon our rivers
since we have adopted the policv IF |
annual appropriations. and if this
polcy Is adhered to and the amount
appropriated is sufficient to do the
work expedltiOuSly. to save the waste
y reorganization. and
oete~rloraton when work is suspended
even for a short time on account of
rack or FUNDS, we Will in a ~easonable
lapse OF time be able to put the chan
! neis or our rivers in fairly good CON
ditiOn.
Conditions Are hanged
IN connection with the Improvement
VI our rivers SO as to make them ser
Vlceapie as means of transportation in
competition with rail TRANSPORTATION.
We must consider the fact that the
conditions Of successful water trans
portatlon have radically changed from
What they formerly were. The river
steamboat Of Olden times has. except
II purely local traffic, become obsolete.
IT. IS no sufficiently economical to
meet the requirements of competition.
Modern conditions require. in water
transportation as in rail t~ranSporta-
ton. the adoption of the most econo-
mic methods, and the most economic
vehlcie OF river commerce is the
barge-not one barge, but a train of
bargeS-pulled by one powerful tug.
probably, of all countries
OF the world has developed it's water
transportation to the highest state of
per1ectlOn. Her rivers are not deep,
but their channels are in good conGi-
ton. Her terminal facilities and ply
steal railroad connection at stopping
points are of the best. If you will go
to that country and visit the Rhine
you Will see that stream full Of bargeS
from ten to twelve hundred ton ca
pacity each. six, eight. and even more
of them linked together and drawn W
and down the river with one powerful
tug. with perfect arrangements 70,
{ loading and unloading. and with
economic physical connection with the
railroads which receive their cargOes
/ and distribute them into the interior
Ii our waterways are to become as eff
ficient for the needs of cheap trans
- POAt as thSS bCAOIIlC III 'OI-
r many. we have got to put the chan
nelS Of our rivers in condition for this
kind of traffic, and in addition there
r must be adequate terminal facilitie:
: and rail connection.
e Our failure to take thought of these
things and to provide for them &C
counts In part for the backWardneS.
S of water transportation in this coun
try.
! repea,, Mr.. President, that one @
h reasons why our efforts in direC
n ton of waterway Improvement hav.
: met with so little success, why Gu
river i'm provenent work has advanc
y ed SO slowly, why our water com
merce has not increased bat ha
actually decreased, notWithStandin:
e the large aggregate sums We hav
appropriated for our rivers. is tn
dribbling policy which we have adopt
e ed in ~appropriating money for thi
Is purpose; and I repeat that nobody i
u more responsible for this dribhlin
policy thar the Senator from Ohio
l. who during the II years that he Wa
le chairman of the rivers and harbOr
} committee of the House and. as every
body knows, was the dominant influ
re en.e upon that committee, adopted
Is policy by which there was appropriat
l. ed for this great work. including tn
harbors upon our enormous coas
IT line, including our great lake system
p sound system. and river syster
I'd stretch over a country generally we
IN Watered. 5000 miles in width an
n nearly 2,G00 miles in length. the pit
to able sum of $21. 600. zoe per year. an
I'd who has. ever since he ceased to o
chairman of that committee. oppoSe
IL the annual bill system under Whic
we have in recent years appropriate
ey on an average probably double ths
of amount. basing his criticism upon tn
lamont expended and terrifying n
argument with suggestions ana int
= tiOns that the day of inland "att
IN ranspOrtatjon in competition wit
railroads was passed.
re Mr.. President. the same probe
ar which confronted Germany when 81
f. entered upon her career
commercial and Industrial expanSio'
~ 10 which have referred. cOnfron
IN this country today. n same STU;
~ ton which confronted England wht
she appointed the royal commission
- >lo nd ~ tar T