Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-04-30
GOVERNOR ASKS
AID FOR RIVERS
EBERHART OF MINNESOTA is
ADVOCATING IMPROVED
INLAND WATERWAYS.

st. Louis, Mo-, April 29.-Gov. A. o
Eherhart, of Minnesota in an address
before the St. Louis business mems
league today predicted that the Missis
sippi valley would continue to be the
,, bread basket of the world and said IT
did not require great effort OF
| imagination to believe that within "our
own time population will range from a
hundred and fifty to two hundred mil
lion in this country
Gov. Eberhart's address was plea
for a greater national sentiment to-
ward the work of developing the coun-
trys waterways.
There is no subject today so far
reaching" he said, las that OF i'm
provement of the waterways of the
Mississippi valley for the purpose OF
supplementing and cheapening the
transportation now furnished by rail.
All civilizations Of the past have been
based to a large extent on the influ-
ence and value of water transportation
and this is as true today as it was in
ancient times.
THE Mississippi valley is to con-
tinue to be the bread basket of the
world but more than that, with its mil
lions of units of potential power,
should become great manufacturing
and shipping center as we'll. With Its
fertile soil, it's capacity to produce
food in support of millions its net
work of railways and its wonderful
system of waterways furnishing cheap
transportation, the Mississippi valley
would be the seat of an inland empire
greater than anything that has ex-
listed in the past or can exist any
where else in the world.
"The railroads maintain they can.
not give cheaper transportation and in
spite of the comparative small proper.
ton of population to our extended
territory there Is period of traffic
congestion. There is imperative de-
mand for relief from this condition
and the utilization Of our waterways
offers this answer to this question.
Europe with its denser population has
long ago realized the Importance OF
this form of transportation.
1.-THE improvement Of waterway
as supplement to
highway and railroad is based on the
assumption that population will in
crease Idpluly dllu Will IL CAo hCSSo0
sity OF additional transportation
facilities.
There is always another reason
why we should be alert and realize the
possibilities of our water transporta-
ton. To the north We have Justly
young rival in Canada and that coun-
try. realizing the advantage water
canal system would give the United
States has started fight for north
west trade. Toronto has appropri-
ated $4O,OOO.O0O to snatch from Buffalo
a business which Buffalo has enjoyed
for hundred years: the province Of
Ontario has appropriated $50,000,OOO
for carrying shipping canal around
Niagara Falls and Is also improving
the deep water canal at cost OF
$25 100000. They are also starting
of Georgia bay canal at a
cost of 5000. 100000.
acknowledging the feasibility and
necessity of waterway transportation
there remains but one thing to make
it effective: that is tremendous pub
lie sentiment which will make opening
Of our great waterway system ma
tional question. To bring this about
there must be unity Of action among
the states known as the Mississippi
valley states"