The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-10-05
CT mi
GOVERNMENT TAKES
over the OHIO river
EXPANSION PROBLEM
Experts Of Railroad Administration
Establish Office In Cincinnati
Complete Survey Planned.

Through action taken yesterday by
G. A. Tomlinson, assistant to Nation
al Railroad Director McAdoo, who has
full CONTROL of inland waterway traf-
fic, the river problems and projects OF
the Cincinnati district passed under
direct control of the United States
Government.
A permanent office is to be estab-
lished at once in Cincinnati, and a
survey of the Ohio River and its trib-
utaries made to obtain the most COM
plete information concerning traffic
conditions and needs in the Ohio Val
ley from Pittsburg, Penn, 70 Cairo,
Ill.
Mr.. Tomlinson was accompanied to
Cincinnati yesterday morning by Har-
ry ]. Cross. Both men have been
leaders in transportation on the Great
Lakes and have been given full au-
thority to proceed with their work on
the Ohio River situation.
1--WE are establishing permanent
headquarters here to study river traf-
fee condition on the Ohio River and
its tributaries" said Mr.. Tomlinson,
"and to cooperate in every way pos
sible to develop this line Of transpor-
tation as conditions may justify.
"Mr. Cross, who will have charge of
the Cincinnati office, is a waterways
traffic expert from the Great Lakes,
and it will be his province to make
thorough study of conditions on the
Ohio and its tributaries and to work
out plans for betterments, changes
and expansions wherever the need of
these may develop.
"Mr. Cross will hear complaints on
existing transportation, receive sug-
gestions and in other ways cooperate
with the interests along the entire
river to obtain the most intimate in
formation upon which our depart
ment will base its future plans for i'm
provement and changes in the inland
waterways system, so far as it APP
plies to the Ohio River and its tribu-
taries.
1--WE have studied carefully the
plans that have been made for river
terminals in Cincinnati, and | feel
certain the Government will be gen.
erous in aiding to bring about extern
sive improvements in river transport
tation, if conditions, as Mr.. Cross
finds them, justify the project.
zone drawback to river transporta-
ton on the Ohio River at present is
the fact that the lock and dam sys-
TEN, which is to establish a nine-foot
stage from Pittsburg to Cairo, is in
complete. There is mo continuous
chain of dams anywhere along the
river.
Until long hauls are made possible
at practically all seasons of the year
river transportation cannot hope to
compete successfully with the modern
railroads
"In this respect it is easy to see
why, railroads have outstripped the
river so greatly in the matter of traf-
fic. River transportation is being
conducted along the original nine
teenth century lines, while the rail-
roads are handling traffic in up-to-
the-minute twentieth century style.
when the river interests bring
their transportation systems up to
date-and the Government will give
them every encouragement in doing
so-there is certain to be decided re-
Mobilization of river traffic. We hope
establishment of this permanent of
flee of the Inland Waterways Depart
ment of the National Railroad Admin
istratiion will aid in bringing about
this result"