The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-06-02

united States has passed the rivers
and harbors bill, carrying an appropri.
alton OF S43,00O,00O. Senator KENYON
OF Iowa declared that at least 500.
100000 OF this amount was absolute
pork" to be wasted on projects where
commerce is disappearing or does not
exist. Yet the Senate passed it by the
close vote of 35 to 50. Shameless,-
Rutland Herald,
Every patriotic citizen of the country
should rejoice that Burton ii out of the
Senate and with him gone tie. railroad
lobby was no longeE able to- preypnt a
reasonable appropriation for waterway
development. The great trans contin.
entail railroads received hundreds
of millions in land grants and
other fayors from the federal
government The smaller railroad
systems in many sections and
particularly in the south and west have
also been greatly favored. In spite Of
their blessings neither the big nor tho
little railroad companies seem willing
to allow even the natural waterways
opened up to navigation. Occasionally
a great railroad man like the late
James j. Hill has vision broad enough
10 see that railroad and waterway de.
felopment should so forward together
nut the smaller calibre railroad mas.
mates and the senator's and congress.
men OF their group are bitterly and f.
nanciahy opposed to waterway i'm.
pfoyement. Every time there is pros.
pect OF advance for the greatly to be
desired waterway system the railroad
lobby, the railroad senators, the rail
road newspapers and the railroad
stockholders yell pork pork" and
a lot OF innocent persons who have not
investigated the matter are led to be.
lieve that a raid is being made on the
national treasury, The truth is that
as the country becomes more densely
populated the rivers and canals system
is essential to the prosperity of the
country and their value is absolutely
shown by France, Germany Belgium
and Holland. This country has inst
mad striking demonstration. Owing
TO the freight congestion it was taking
from five to fourteen DAYS to shin
freight between New York and Phila.
delphia. At times it was absolutely
impossible to get anything through
Somebody remembered the little old
Raritan canal from the Delaware river
across New Jersey. 1t had only six
feet Of water and small size canal
boats were scarce but a little Yankee
hustle has put the business in opera.
ton and freight is now being moved
between New York and PHILADELPHIA in
from two to four days and at a rate
much less than the railroads we're
For years the railroads have
oeen trying to have. the Rariian canal
CHARTER cancelled and the canal filled
up. The present bin to which the Her.
aid is so much opposed carries a small
appropriation to maintain the Raritan
canal. 1t will be remembered how bit,
terly the railroads opposed the building
OF the Panama canal. The Waterways
bills are among the most important
measures before congress. Like all ap.
preparation bills they sometimes get
loaded up with few items that ought
not to be included but probably ninety
per cent and more is wholly patriotic
and desirable. The waterways bills
will never have the support Of the rail.
road companies or those who, for one
reason or another, look at the question
from the railroad point of view. No
one should question the right of these
gentlemen to support their own inter.
ests but other people should give the
proposed waterway development as II
now is, under the supervision of the de.
partmehts Of war and commerce, their
cordial and earnest support.