Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-09-21
PARKER SHOWS NEED
 OF THE WATERWAYS
At Same Time He Explains Value of River Transportation To the
 Varied Interests of America.

l me IOIlOWlng excerpts are ldkell
 from the address of Walter Parker,
 assistant to Secretary Redfield, of the ] United States department of com-
 merce, for Inland Water transporta- l ton, before the Business Mems War | Convention, at Atlantic City, N. J.:
 Business America must augment it's
 transportation system, and reduce
 that system to a dependable, conven-
 ient and economic basis, if domestic
 markets are to be kept in good order
 and if the gate to foreign markets,
 during the period Of keen competi-
 tion after the war, is to be kept open.
 This means that the inland navi-
 gable waterways of the United States must be used as an adjunct to the
 railroads, and in coordination with the railroads, and that system of i transportation must be developed un- 1 der which transportation lines of l least natural resistance and cost of operation, in relation to the service required, will function without friction
 and without unnecessary restraint. Otherwise railroad and terminal
 conjcstion, which has long been ser ]
 trade-encouraging effect of reliable and economic transportation may be denied the commerce generators of | this country during long time to come.
 Americas strongest competitors in Europe not only have not permitted their waterways to fall into disuse, but even now, in the midst of capi-
 tai and credit draining war, are in- vesting huge sums in extending their inland waterway systems. in order, first, that their troops and supplies | may the more easily and quickly be
 moved and, second, that after the war their commerce may be moved to and from shipside at the lowest possible cost.
 Incidentally, those same countries are learning lessons of war economy and efficiency which will aid them in their fight for foreign markets later on.
 Originally, water craft supplied the only commercial means of transporta- tion to and from large part of the United States. Enjoying a practical mononly, that means of transporta- ton failed to develop the true spirit of enterprise and built no convenient and economic terminal and warehouse facilities: consequently. it fell an easy victim of railroad competition, the railroads .teing aided by cohesive and intelligent business enterprise and by terminal and warehouse facil- ltles which served the needs of the shipper conveniently and satisfactor- ily.
 Becarse,s ats that time, there was more transportation, there being both water and rail carriers, than there was commerce to move, the keenest or competition developed, and in ord"" to better their position the rail- roads inaugurated rate-making sys- lem Which gave river trade centers lower rates than were given nonriver trade centers. Thus, lacking facilities for the con- venient and low-cost handling Of com. modities, and compelled to comnete against low railroad rates at every rlver town, the boats in the course or time were starved into the funk pile in spite of the fact that the water Tn many cases, offers an opportunity
 TOT the lowest cost transportation known. fact which is we'll illustrat- ed by the carriers on the Great lakes
 Today the normal volume of com
 meree requiring movement in the
 United States is greater than is Ehe provision for moving it.
 The state of New York is preparing to revive inland transportation in large way. In every navigable water served valley in the country the peo- pie are now thinking about inland wa ter transportation in a constructive way.
 Congress has been liberal with it's appropriations, and army engineers have given the country many excel lent waterway channels.
 Now comes the shipping board with its big plan to rehabilitate the Amer 1can merchant marine within period Of year or two. Those ships, after the war. will compete with all other ships in the world. There is no pro- lection for them beyond our Emile coast line. If it should cost us an appreciable percentage more to move our commerce to and from the interior to the side of those ships than it costs the Rhine merchants, say to serve their own. ships, our ships and our generators of commerce will be una ble to compete. The use of boats, served by efficient and economic ia cilities and equipment and enjoying the cooperation of all other common carriers in the interior, will permit our generators of commerce to oper ate to and from American ship side in easy competition with their best equipped competitors abroad. For this reason, if for no other, the naviga ble streams of the country must be used in the future.