The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-14
RIVER BARGE LINE
!. IS NOT ABANDONED
NJ ADOO DECLARES
Director General TeIegraphS
St. Louis That AdmlnlStra-
tiOn viii Garry Out Plans
for Water Transportation.

4 WASHINGTON, Dec 14,--Iu. q tele-
gram today to the presidents OF the ST
Louis merchants exchange and cham
her OF commerce, Director General NC
3Adoo announced that the railroad nd-
ADMINISTRATION win carry out the Mlsss-
sippi river barge route protect
IN The director general, making the. an
announcement in response to protests
which poured into hts office yesterday
as result Of rumors that the project
was to be abandoned. took occasion 10
Hurge the business organizations to give
serious consideration TO hts proposal 70
congress that federal control OF rail-
roads be extended five years, Unless
the extension is made, Mr., McAdoo
said, reasonable opportunity could
|pnot be afforded a fair test Of "the value
6f unified railroad operation along with
co-ordinated inland waterways opera
ton" and that in case the railroads
khe Mississippi river would not hold out
ID was stated at the railroad admin
lstration that while contracts for 40
barges ordered for the Mississippi had
not yet been signed the director gen e
eral had taken the attitude that the
government had definitely been com
mitted to the deal
The rumor that the federal Missts-
sippi project was to be abandoned raised
Storm Of protest in Memphis, The
| Chamber Of Commerce, Mayor Monte ,
verde the Merchants Exchange and
the Lumbermens club at once dis.
| patched kilograms to Director Genera
MeAdoo urging that nothing be done
to interfere with the government barge
| line, and protesting against the ru-
mored cancellng Of contracts for more
| vessels
With the Mississippi river again com
| ing into its own and its unlimited taell-
| tiles for handling freight once more be-
| ing placed at the command OF the snip
| lper, Memphis business men are pre-,
/ pared to make every effort to prevent
! Interference with the government plai
| Of operation as already placed under
| way by the railroad administration.
| The Chamber Of Commerce In its
/ protest set forth that the city. upor
/ had recently issued bonds In the sun
| of $500 600 to build river and rail term
/ inals as an aid to barge transporta
| ton, and that the first unit OF these
| terminals had already been provided
| II also voiced tho protest that othel
cities in the valley have made arrange
4 ments along a similar line,
Mayor Monteverde, in protesting, as
| serted that the city is ready to assis
| in every, way the upbuilding of grea
river traffic system. and the Lum
bermens club and the Merchants ex
change voiced the opinion In their pro
/ tests that the inland waterways sys
tenn is the most necessary and vita
Transportation project given TO the ma
ton, and is essential to the vast worl
OF the future. ......
i NJ Word from Washington that Direct
Tor General Nc Atf6o 'fay ored the Sortin
i uatiof OF the government river projec
was received with much gratficatio
| in Memphis, but the commercial organ
lzations are not relaxing their watch
| fNness of the situation.
VT is too big thing to take an
| chances on, and we are going to do al
We can to hack up the director genera
and to induce the government authorl
,les to commune with the barge line,
stated Secretary Hayley Of the Cham
Der of Commerce.