Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-02-07

ment Will cake place during the
transition period, There is apparent
" not a large amount of postponed
maintenance to he made good. And
extensions can properly be made only
with the consent of the shareholders.
In view of the present high cost of
railroad construction and the politi-
cal uncertainty with reference to the
future ownership and control of the
railway, system, it is not az all i'm
probable that railway development
will be indefinitely postponed.
The increased costs of operation
during the war, which, speaking gen.
enerally, could not be Offset by cores
ponding increases in rates, has pro-
duced situation such that the pub
lie utility corporations feel that they
must wait until the production is
lower than at the present be-
fore making extensions. II we are to
provide buffer employment for re-
turning soldiers, therefore, it must be
on distinctly government projects.
Among the federal projects, recla
nation in its various forms is Of first
Importance. 1t is easy to assume
that great numbers of laborers can
easily be employed in reclamation
work; and large numbers could in
deed be employed if an enormous ap-
preparation were made for the pur-
pose. It is Important to point out,
however, that an appropriation of
$500, 600, 600 for federal reclamation
work would give employment at
living wages to about 5000 men for
a year lIhis figure is based on the
cost records Of the u. S. Reclamation
Service 1t may be Of interest to
note that 10000 men is the highest
that has ever been employed in fed.
eral reclamation projects in any one
year. Now it is not inconceivable
that an appropriation of $500, 100000
for reclamation projects might be
made. 1t is utterly inconceivable,
however, that the entire expenditure
could be made intelligently in a
single. year. The reclamation of
swamps and cut-over lands, for in
stance, requires the most careful en-
gineering and agricultural surveys, if
we are to make sure that the areas
reclaimed will be those which yield
the largest return for the smallest
outlay. The same holds true for
flood control, irrigation, what not. 1t
would be nothing short Of a national
calamity if, in an excess of zeal, pub
lie employment should degenerate
into 'smake-work'' program regard
CARELESS of the social value of the
work performed.
1t would be particularly unfortu
nate, for instance, if we should en-
gage upon an extensive program of,
river and canal development without
the most careful preliminary study of
the relative advantages to be derived
from an expenditure upon waterways
This is true, whether river and har-
Dor and canal appropriations be made
on the old s'pork barrel basis or in
accordance with the most approved
principles. When such man as M.
Colson, eminent French authority on
transportation Counsellor of State
and Director Of Roads and Bridges OF
France-has demonstrated that the
canal system of France and Germany
annually result in a heavy economic
loss to those countries, it is highly
important that we make a thorough
analysis of the entire transportation
problem before we proceed to make
enormous expenditures on waterway
development.
In thesvarious states of the Union
there are many public works which
have been postponed because of the
shortage of material during the war.
These should be completed at once.
The public highways of this country
are recognized to be at once a dis
grace to American enterprise and
economically wasteful to the extent
of millions of dollars annually. The
case is perfectly clear, therefore, that
the states should, wherever possible,
put through extensive road building
programs. Not only is the social
value of such improvements beyond
question; but the amount of employ
ment given to labor is larger in pro-
portion to the total expenditure than
in most other types of public works.
In passing, it may be noted, how
ever, that many states have reached
the limit of their bond issuing capa-
city and that some are not permitted
to borrow at all. This is a result of
the experience through which we
passed in the decade Of the thirties.
With high hopes of great financial
returns, the young middle western
and southern states of those days
engaged extensively in the construc-
tion of public highways, railroads,
and waterways They built beyond
the needs of the time. however, and
the disastrous years following the
panic of 1887 carried the sparsely
settled commemorative of that day
into bankruptcy. The reaction proved
so strong that the amendments of
ct Of