Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1917-12-01
Waterways Come
To Their Own

The matter of transportation as
we'll as the production of an excess
in the field, mine and factory is the
problem of the hour.
For years the railroad interests OF
the country were represented IN the
legislative hall of the country. lhey
to some extent have moulded SEN
timent and with human ingenuity and
skilled mechanics to aid them have
developed the railways of the country
beyond the mad dreams of a hall
century ago. This country has seen
a railway development which Tor
miles of fine track, for luxurious
transportation facilities, for power
machines, has put America five CEN
turies ahead of that of the older civil
cation in the old world. Can interest
ing field, for capital, there is more
money invested in them than there
is behind realms in Europe.) A man
may travel in the palace OF KING IN
five days across the continent OF
North America. So attractive has
the investment been that it has lnvlt-
ed capital from wealthy men IN Eu-
rope. Just recently it has been dis
covered that Nicholas Romanoff
knew a good thing. He invested in
great blocks of the securities OF
American railways. Those who are
settling up the affairs Of the re-
Gently deposed emperor are now
looking after the investments OF
Nick Romanoff, and it may be cheer
fully remarked, with some success.
But there is a fly in the ointment.
Before the United States, goaded to
desperation, declared war on Ger
many and cast her lot with, and Of
fered her treasure and young man
hood to the allies, the railroads, IN
times of peace, said to the world that
they were unable to carry, promptly
and we'll, the products of the. land,
from where produced to where
needed. Had the railroads not aided
in the destruction Of the inland water
ways, the incident would have been
common place. But they had strip
ped the country Of timber and de-
pleated in century the coal supply.
Inland navigation used little coal and
a negligible amount of timber.
Another odity of the situation was
that while as a general proposition,
they were importuning congress to
permit them to greatly increase
freight rates, they were asking,
where they were competing against
the rivers and few remaining canals,
to be permitted to lower their rates.
This to drive out the last vestige of
competition by waterways, which
were unobtrusively hauling bulky
freight at much lower rate than the
heavy dividend earning roads would
do.
Standing on this paradoxical prop
osition it is not singular that Con-
gres has hesitated in granting their
requests.
The solution to this is the inland
waterway. Such waterways as
abound in>England, France, Belgium,
Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany
and even in primitive Russia, already
thinking men are arising to the sit
uation. Traffic on the rivers is nee
essary. In Kansas City, Mo-, and
New Orleans, La, have been organ
lied steel river steamship line be-
tween these points and touching at
Carlo, ILL.,, Memphis, Tenn, and other
prominent river points. Steamers
leave the terminals daily and coast
wise traffic is looked after. The
line is supported by private subscrip-
tion and without any Vaccinations of
railways in the future it will become
an object lesson which will bring US
all back to realization of our natur-
al resources.
A few weeks ago coal famine was
relieved in Cincinnati in a low water
stage by use of the slack water
dams between that city and the coal
producing cented of Pitsburg, Pa.
It is safe to say this season
there would have been no coal short
age in this city if the Ohio Canal had
been in operation. 1t is equally sure
that Newark mills would not have
shut down for wheat if the old Ohio
Canal had been, as itonce was, in Op-