Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-27
THE BARGE LINE TO NEW YOI
he Editor Of Evening Ledger

To the Editor of Evering Ledger
Sir-The new freight barge line between
Philadelphia and New York, via the Della
ware and Raritan Canal, is concrete ex-
ample of the utility of inland waterways
which ought to have wholesome influence
upon the commercial world.
What are the facts? The railroads be-
tween New York and Philadelphia have
been unable to meet the demand on them
Manufacturers and business men have re-
sorted to every known means of transport
ing their goods to meet the requirements OF
their customers. The Eastern ports nave
been like the mouths of tunnels, through
! Nst.-s.a the exports of the hinterland have
been pouring. Naturally, under such cir
cumstances, there is congestion, with re-
sultant embargoes upon freight. Such
TRANSPORTATION auXilares as the Delaware
and Raritan Canal and the Chesapeake and
Delaware Canal must be resorted to under
these circumstances. But this is only the
commercial side of the question
Consider the preparedness side. The
canal, 33 miles long from the Delaware to
the Raritan is capable of carrying vessels
drawing but seven feet of water, There are
Il locks in this canal which cut down the
running time to Ia hours between the two
cities While this antiquated transportation
system is now invoked for commercial pur-
poses, because there is nowhere else to CO.
not even a submarine of the United States
Navy could pass through that canal The
same condition prevails between the Della
ware and Chesapeake bays, except the
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal has feWer
locks and is deeper, Approximately l'OOO,-
600 tons of freight is now forcing its way
through the Chesapeake and Delaware
Canal Advocates of inland waterways have
been urging Congress to open up or recon-
struct these canals and make them free,
They ought to be highways for the peoples
commerce. In the event OF war they would,
ffatf tfnn ha iva
menace to the nation since they would
block any strategy attempted by the navy
in the movement of ships between the great
ports and navy yards.
In this brief statement you have the two
sides of the inland waterways question. We
have agitated it for number Of years
often TO find that many of the people who
need these improvements most are fire.
auently at the head OF the procession cry
ing Pork"
The opening up of the new barge line be-
tween Philadelphia and New York is proof
of the contentionsy of Eastern waterways
men as to their commercial Importance.
We are extending barge lines TO the South,
also and a great business is being de-
yeloped for the port of Philadelphia in
barges on inland waterways as far as
North Carolina, but depths and widths are
limited and channels must be maintained.
II costs money TO do this, but considering
the trade that is held up because IL is not
done. and our neglect of the country's de-
lenses along the coast line, the expenditure
for these waterways would be a mere baga-
telle compared with the s75O,OO0OO0 which
this Congress has already appropriated, or
Is preparing to appropriate, for enterprises
more or less paternalistic.
In the area of the 13 original States,
where we have 40 per cent of the popua-
tlon, where we have SO per cent. of the
wage-earners, and produce 55 per cent OF
the manufactures of the whole country we
do business on 22 per cent of the rail-
road mileage OF the United States
And yet, IL we had improved waterways.
we would do a greater business for the
railroads, as well as for all other lines of
commercial and Industrial activity, and we
would especially benefit the farmer, who has
use fer the waterways in getting 10 market,
]. HAMPTON MOORE.
washington. ID. c., May 25.