The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-08-01
Uncle Sam Is Thinking of Building
Some of Them on the Mississippi
River at Most Important
Railway Crossings.
REPORT AT WASHINGTON
Director General Hines Has a Plan to
Join the Railroads and the
Steamboats, In Through
Traffic Methods.

For lack Of trunk line railroad
across the Mississippi river here, like
the Midway route that Judge Hughes
| is promoting, Keokuk apparently will
not come under the plans or Uncle
Sam to build power dock boat termi.
nails on the river.
| The report comes from Washington
| that 1T is the intention Of the govern
ment to build these power docks
| Itself where the railroad traffic to the
river warrants 1t and where the docks
are large out of proportion with the
traffic initiated there. on account of
transfer of goods from railroad cars
to steamboats,.
Burlington, Davenport and Clinton
are the points in Iowa on the upper
Mississippi river where large railway
systems cut the river from the east
and west. These are the Burlington,
the Rock Island and the Northwestern
railroad systems.
The Report From Washington.
A dispatch from Washington by a
staff correspondent to the st. Louis
Post Dispatch says:
The United States government.
having put something more than S10,
100000 into the Mississippi river
barge line, is going to see the thing
through.
Transfer terminals which the
government considers necessary to
the justification of joint rates with
the railroads in territory lying upon
both sides of the river are to be
built by the government, which can.
not longer wait for the river cities to
provide them.
These assurances come direct
from Walker D. Hines, director-gen-
eral of railroads, who has from time
to time publicly announced that in
land waterway traffic would be given
thorough test under government con-
troll.
Has Asked Estimate.
Hines has asked for an immediate
estimate of the total cost of transfer
terminals at points where 1t is con-
sidered that they are necessary
corollary to system of joint rail
and water rates opening to the barge
line the Mississippi hfnterland, and
it is expected that he will within the
next few weeks authorize their con-
This inaugurates a change of policy
upon the part of the government,
which has hitherto looked TO the river
cities to put in terminals. Only ST. !
Louis and Memphis have made any
move to do this. AS a consequence,
so the railroad administration saws, |
joint rates have not been put into ef- /
feet over much of the territory IN !
which river freights will move. nor /
will these rates be granted until the
terminals are built
Not All Cities.
1t Is not to be understood that the
government is going to build ware
houses at every river port. It is going
to provide only what Is necessary to
the barge line as real traf-
tic system. Two considerations impel
this policy:
First, after instituting the barge
Inc at great cost the government is
not going to leave 1t as a three
legged creature to hope for a fourth
eg from legislation compelling the
u1icduS W Co-Opeidlo WIFI II. (.
Second, some of the important
transfer points on the river as, for
Instance, Vicksburg, are not able to
provide terminals Of the sort the
barge line requires, nor would the
Importance of the terminals to them ,
always Justify them in doing so.
Soon to Return Railroads.
1t is generally supposed in Washing /,
on that the railroads are to be re-
urned to their owners at the end of !,
his year. The presidents assertion
hat he would return them then is ac- /,
,epted in congress, which Is not anti
:ipating federal control beyond that Z,
ime.
This prospect would dfsmay the :
riends of the barge line except for 3
he assurance Of Mr.. Hines. The q
large line has been given but part
II what must be done for it before it I
an be expected to maintain itself. To
cave it in this condition, subject to !
UGH further help as it could get by
cts Of congress, would be to deal 1t
|