The Republican journal., 1915-05-06
Opposition to Waterways.
What u. S. Senator Chamberlain of Oregon
Says of it.

However it may be with others, there
Is one man who has no doubts or misgiv-
lhgs as to the source of the opposition to
waterways which has been SO plainly in
evidence during the last two sessions of
Congress. That man is native of Mis-
slssippi, who moved to Oregon, became
/ the Attorney General and later Governor
OF that State, and is now serving his Sec
ond term as United States Senator. His
name is George E. Chamberlain.
There has been most remarkable
change" says Senator Chamberlain,
IN the course followed by the great
transportation companies of this country
since the opening of the Panama Canal.
For nearly half century before that
great work was completed the efforts of
the trans-continental railways were d.
rected against every effort that was
made to connect the two oceans by the
construction of the Canal. Their efforts
undoubtedly retarded this work for at
least forty years. 1t IS unnecessary to
discuss at length the reasons which led
to this opposition. 1t is sufficient to say
that SO long as it's completion was de-
layed, SO long could these great trans
portation companies control the rates.
1.-The methods which were resorted to
to accomplish this are well known to the
Shippers and producers of the country.
They not only controlled the railways
across the 1sthmus, but they controlled
the coastwise trade. They hired space
on the coasting steamers, even though
that space was not used, and fixed rates
at such exorbitant figures that the pro-
ducts of the country had to be carried
over their rail lines at any prices that
the railway companies saw fit to charge
They were restrained only by the slow
and tedious processes of the Interstate
Commerce Commission and the courts.
1t will be remembered that it took near
ly twenty-five years to reach, through
these processes, a final decision affecting
rates to the inter mountain country, and
even that decision has been very largely
modified.
The Panama Canal has become an &C.
complshed fact, and in 1912 an act gov
ering its use was placed upon the statute
books. This act granted to American
vessels engaged in the coastwise trade
exemption from tolls, and Immediately
upon its passage these same companies
put forth their efforts to secure the re-
peal of this clause. In that fight they
were successful, SO that American YES
sells engaged in the coastwlse trade are
measurably handicapped, for, to the ex-
tent that tolls are charged them at PAN
anna, to that same extent the railway
companies can add to their trans CONT
mental freight rates.
Having lost the fight against canal
construction, but having won a victory
with reference. to tolls exemption, their
organized efforts are now being directed
against Legislation for the improvement
of inland waterways. The purpose of
this opposition is too plain for argument.
These waterways have now become ac-
tive competitors with the railways and
are more powerful as rate regulators
than either the Interstate Commerce
Commission or the State Commissions
can possibly be. No objection is being
bors, where, as rule, railway compa-
nil md oil G.,
ties. The opponents of appropriations
for river Improvement seem to be per-
fectly willing that any amount of money
shall be appropriated for these harbor
improvements because, in the final an
alysis, money SO expended benefits the
ra ilway corporations.
II am neither prophet nor the son of
of prophet, but predict there will be in
the future thoroughly organized and we'll
directed efforts to defeat bills appropriat-
ing money for the improvement of in
ternal waterways, particularly where
those waterways compete with railway
transportation. | know of no better
way to compel the nemies OF waterway
Improvement to show the cloven foot
than by placing appropriations for har-
bors, which are railway terminals, in one
bill and appropriations for internal water
ways, which are competitors of rail-
ways, in a separate bill. 1t is safe to
say that in the former instance there
would be little, if any, opposition; while
in the latter the fight against appropria-
tons would continue to be as strenuous
as it has been since the completion of
the Panama Canal and the passage of
the Act of 1912.
cit will not take the people of this
country long to wake up to the fact that
the opposition to the development and
improvement of our waterways is really
inspired by interests that control trans
portation, just as they finally woke up
to the fact that opposition to the con-
struction of the Panama Canal was in
spired by the trans-continental railway
systems.
''To quickly wake the people of the
country to realization of the facts
and when the awakening comes action is
sure to follow-requires a campaign of
education such as that being continu-
ously carried on by the National Rivers
and Harbors Congress. The opposition
is we'll organized and apparently has am
pie funds at its disposal, and the friends
OF waterway improvement must be vigil
liant and active at all times. Their work
is largely labor of love and is in the in
terest of the masses of the people, who
maintain no lobby at Washington, ask