Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-11
CITY OFFICIALS WILL
URGE CONGRESS TO
JOIN COAST CANALS
This Was Decided at a Conference
Which Was Held in Baltimore,
Md, Yesterday.
AN ORGANIZATION FORMED

Baltimore Md, Dec. 1.-THE logical
solution of the north and south trans
portation problem is by taking advantage
of the God-gIven avenue over the broad
and safe waters forming the literal OF
the whole Atlantic coast of the United
States from Maine to Florida" said
Mavor Preston of Baltimore in address
ing a conference here yesterday to urge
connecting of the inland waterways along
the Atlantic seaboard. This he con-
tinued, twas the solution which the gov
ernment undertook for east and west
traffic, and upward of S500,000,OO0
was appropriated for the construc-
ton of the Panama canal, and today
we find lumber from the far northwest
coming by water through the canal and
being distributed from Baltimore as far
west as Chicago, thus supplementing and
balancing the railroads, both as to cost
of shipment and facility of shipment.
''The same treatment should be af-
forded the people of the north and south
as that given to the people OF the central
and far west by the construction of the
Panama canal, and the Atlantic deeper
waterways project should be completed
by the government in order to relieve
freight congestion on the Atlantic sea-
coast, and In order that the world COM
merce after the war, from the American
standpoint, shall be unrestralned, free
from combinations IN restraint OF trade,
and open to the world in broad avenues
furnished by the Atlantic waterways"
The Chesapeake and Delaware canal
is one of the links in the chain.
Mayor Hylan of New York also ad-
vocated the, project. "lt is my under
standing " he said "that the Deeper
WATERWAYS Association stands for IN
intercoastaI waterway from Boston to
Florida and across Florida to the Gulf.
The necessity for physical connection of
aI our Eastern and Southern harbors
will best be met by the completion of
this waterway, which is designed to make
trunk line along the Atlantic Seaboard
and the Gulf Coast, Just as the New \ ork
State Barge Canal and the Hudson River
have done for the harbors OF the Great
Lakes The completion of this proposed
waterway will result In immediate ad-
vantage and viii be of permanent value
to the American people. 1t viii reduce
the cost of delivering cargoes on board
vessels bound for European and South
American ports, and will better equ p
us TO compete with the rivalry In foreign
markets"
Preceding Mayor Hylan, Mayor Don
nelly. of Trenton, spoke OF the interest
of that city In the intracoastal highway.
Governor Mccall, of Massachusetts,, ex-
Mavor Josiah Quincy, of Boston, re
presenting the mayor OF that city; Murray
Hubert. dock commissioner OF New York;
J. +. Harskarl, director of docks of
Philadelphia, also addressed the meeting,
Mr. Harskarl reading a paper prepared
bv Mavor Smith of Philadelphia
j. Hampton Moore of Philadelphia.
member Of Congress and president of
the Deeper Waterways Association, gave
some information.
Up in Congress" he said, els propo
sition to lend 81 500, 600, 900 more TO the
Allied nations to aid them In reconstruc-
tion work Far be 1t from me to interpose
any objections. Our demand there for the
So, 600, 900, the amount apportloned lsst
wear for harbor Improvements, Is met with
the shout of pork barrelp This inland
waterways plan viii cost less than $780,
100000. That money will and IN meeting
a situation the railroads cannot meet, and
which the Director-General OF Railroads
cannot tell them how to meet. The Presi-
dent himself frankly admits that the rail-
road situation is beyond him, but he did
say In addressing Congress that the water
WAYS Of the country should be utilized
/ thank the mayor of Baltimore for doing
what none Of the rest of US has been able
to do-join the mayors Of the cities into
an organization having as its purpose the
relief of transportation conditions along
the coast"
A resolution that was adopted follows:
Mayors of the cities along the Atlantic |
seaboard and the Gulf coast decided at
Yesterday mornings session In the re-
ception room st the City Hail to organize
a permanent organization
That said association shall have power
to call 8 convention to consist OF said
mayors and such delegates representing
the harbor boards and trades bodies of the
said cities in such proportions as may be
hereafter determined
"And that In the meantime each of said
mayors be requested TO Immediately and
personally get In touch with the Senators
and members OF Congress representing
their respective cities and urge upon them
immediate and effective action looking to
the construction of an intercoastal canal
connecting New England and the South.