Evening journal., 1918-07-10
D. 5. Operation
Of Canals URGED
Benefits OF Inland Schedule,
Boston to Beaufort, N. c.,
Pointed Out
EASTERN DELEGATES
SEE Mr.. PROUTY


WASHINGTON, July i0-The urgenc,
Of having the government build
large number of barges and tows and
operate them on a regular schedule
from Philadelphia north as far as Bos-
ton and south as far as Beaufort, N. c..
was yesterday impressed upon Judge
C. A. Prouty. personal representative
Of Director General McAdoo and the in
land waterways commission, by dele
gates representing Philadelphia. Mary
land, North Carolina and Virginia
Referring to charge that the barges
are now charging excessively high
rates, Commissioner Sanders said the
commissions investigation had shown
that the rates between North Caro-
lima and Philadelphia were S2.75 per
ton before the war, but were $3.50 on
an average now.
Commissioner Saunders said that the
barge lines now in operation are about
the most ine1lciently run Of any busi-
ness In the country that he knew OF.
Either the men now running the
barges are dawdling along and wasting
valuable time and labor in taking fifty
days for a round trip between North
Carolina and Philadelphia, or we com
missioners who have thoroughly inves-
tigated the subject and planned a gov
ernment-operated barge line to make
round trips In twelve days are all
wrong" he said.
Among those appearing in behalf OF
the plan to have the government build
and operate the barges were Congress
man J. Hampton Moore, OF Philadel-
phia; Senator Simmons, OF North Caro-
lima: Congressman Small OF North
Carolina, chairman Of the Rivers and
Harbors Committee. and large delega-
tions from Norfolk. Wilmington, N.
c.; Fayetteville, N. c., and Baltimore.
The party first appeared before Judge
prouty prepared to argue in favor OF
having the director general OF railroads |
build barges and operate them between
Beaufort, Norfolk, Baltimore, Phila- |
delphia, New York and Boston under |
authority granted him by Congress in |
the same way he is now controlling /
operation of the railroads.
Judge Prouty, in regard to similar
developments on the lower Mississippi
river and Black Warrior river in Ala |
bama, said he had not yet received the
report Of the Inland Waterways Com
iintblOA QHOu lA1 niNNHAlbdllOu VI AiI
value OF the development the delega-
tion proposed, and suggested they
might put OF their hearing before him
until Il had been received.
II the Inland Waterways Commits
sion's report on the development and
greater utilization Of the inland water
ways along the Atlantic coast is favor
able, Judge Prouty said, he has little
doubt Director General McAdoo VIII at
once adopt the plan and build barges
along the Atlantic without waiting for
a further hearing.
Congressman ]. Hampton Moore, I
Philadelphia, president Of the Atlantic 4
Deeper Waterways Association, speak
ing at the meeting. said that while he
opposed government ownership Of pub
lie utilities and would oppose the de-
struction Of the existing barge lines
or harassing them or curtailing their
profits, he believed the government !
should establish lines OF barges along \
these waterways to carry materials
which now cannot move because OF o
railroad congestion and lack Of sufil- 4
cient water transportation. q
III in addition TO the existing barge I
tines the government puts on lines OF Z
Darges we would be In fair way TO j
It once demonstrate the utility OF Q
barge lines under efflcIent management $
md the value Of inland waterways" Il
said Mr.. Moore.
"A party Of gentlemen representing ,
The barge lines along the Atlantic sp 5
pesred before us recently and claimed !
there were sufficient barge facilities
now In operation" said General Black.
"On the other hand, we understand
there is not SUFFICIENT tonnage and that
the freight rates charged are exceed
ingly high.
"One startling discovery we have
made is that Il takes twenty-four days
10 load. unload and make a one-way
trip between Philadelphia and the
North Carolina coast
'In our calculations upon the pro-
possl TO operate lines OF government
barges at points between the North
Carolina coast and Philadelphia we are
figuring on making a trip In six days
each way or two round trips a month,
or four times as fast as we understand
the movement is being made now"
Commissioner Saunders declared that
taking fifty days for round-trlp north
and south over the inland waterway
showed gross inefilciency on the part
OF the people now operating the bargesl
and makes It impossible TO operate the
barge lines economically.