Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-07
Waterways Left Out

II is n strange and curious fact that while
all this naval preparation has been gong
on and the sDecding-up program mas peeh
so chcerfully agreed to, the improve
ment of coastal WATERWAYS ana harporS III
which the naval craft must find haNens'
and through which they must pass LOT
c'rategic or economic reasons mas peer,
nushed aside through the failure of the OLD
Congress to enact rivers ana harpo's
bill We are now hearing about the WIS
dom of improving the channel or the East
River along Hell Gate, as If II were some
thing now and worthy our special atteh-
ton. The Hell Gate project, like that OF inc
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, Is as
familiar to Congress as any speciai mat'eT
now before it. The purchase and improve
ment of the Chesapeake ana Deiaware
Canal, which is commonly regarded as the
Kiel Canal of America. has been advocated
bv the Atlantic Deeper Waterways Associa-
tion for the last ten years, ana was twice
provided for in the rivers ana harpor
bill as it passed the House. 1t was In the
last rivers and harborS bill. Which was
stopped in the Senate because the Presi-
dent was disposed not to sign certain ap-
propriation bills that were being attacked
in the newspapers. The defeat of the rivers
and harbors bill last session. unless II is
re-enacted by the present Congress, VIII
cost the Government millions of dollars ana
will delay true preparedness in certain
If the chesapeake and Delaware Canal i'm
provement is not made, the canal will be of
no service to the Government for any or
the vessels the Government Is building or
purchasing if their draft exceeds ten feet
In the event of an attempted blockade
of the Chesapeake or Delaware Bay by
any foreign Power, the existing passageway
between these two bodies of water would
prove a barrier to American plans rather
than an assistance, The fate of Norfolk,
Baltimore or Philadelphia might depend
upon the widening and deepening of the
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal The inn
portance of a better waterway across the
State Of New Jersey than the present Della
ware and Raritan Canal is also accentuated
by our new naval positions. Such canal
for large craft between the Philadelphia and
Brooklyn Navy Yards might prove the key
to the protection of New York and the
entire New England coast. 1t is amazing
to eastern men who are familiar with our
waterway needs for commerce as well as
| for war that great projects like these
| should be held up and postponed because
| the rivers and harbors bill carried
| $50 900, 900 and was thus made the subject
! of attack, 1t is more amazing to the advo-
Gates of waterways that while these worthy
| projects were defeated when a national
crisis was impending Congress should pass
| and the President should sign a bill ap-
propriating $50, 900, 900 for the building of
Ievees to protect private lands on the lower
| Mississippi and to include certain reclama-
| ton work on the Sacramento.
Interests of Philadelphia Affected
The failure of a rivers and harbors bill
| will have its direct effect upon Philadel-
| pha and the Delaware River interests. The
| thirty-fve-foot channel of the Delaware
is not finished and will not be for years to
| come unless appropriations are steadily
tl,n r..lF Coll ALL
! This year 7~Ss to have been the Delaware s
| best year. 1t was provided for by the
largest appropriation yet. a total of S2,071 :.
0S0, covering work from Trenton to the
sea. 1t also provided a 100000 appropria,
ton for the Schuylkill River, the first OBJ
tanned for that river since the Adminstra
ton of President Mckinley. These appro
| priations including that for the Chesapeake
| and Delaware Canal, go gimmering for ar
! indefinite period, unless the present Con
| gress adds a rivers and harbors bill to the
| program, which is not now altogether en-
couraging If such bill Is not enacted by
the Congress, 1t will not be for want o.
| activity on the part of the friends OF water
| ways. The new chairman of the Rivers ant
| Harbors Committee, Mr.. Small, OF Nortl
| Carolina, Is an old-time champion OF INLAND
waterways, and has often expressed hi
| admiration of the commercial and nava
possibilities of the Delaware River. At tn,
opening of Congress, after II was known
that the Democrats had effected the Hous,
organization and agreement was had as t
the appropriation bills that should be re
passed and hastened to the Senate for con
sideration, Mr.. Small undertook to hav
the rivers and harbors bill included, bu
without success, AS his action was in con
formty with that already taken by tn
Republican organization committee in II
reported program there is chance tina
rivers and harbors may yet be considered
II II is, however, and public building
bill Is also demanded-and the bill held vi
I'm the Senate included the custom hous
item-there may be contest and NOR
criticism, which may result In further de
laying the preparation Of our inland water
WAYS for the use of the ships we are build
ing The Philadelphia Maritime Exchange
alive to the Importance of this situation
presented MEMORIAL to Congress this weel
urging that constructive waterway lesisla
ton be speedily enacted. As the Mississipr
!. now han III guarantee Of $b0,000,O00 10
eood control. lens opposition to eastern In