Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-22
Cana Is Needed
By Frederic J. lIashin

washington. ~. y, Jan. LA.---A nTiYe
To arouse the country to the need for an
adequate system Of canals, we'll equipped
and t. mako provision for canals Il part
! of The reconstruction of our transport ation
syfietn, il being conducted by the he
partfnent df Commerce
The commercial experts have in this
move, The support Of The army and navy
~ the need for an Atlantic ntra-coastal
canal SYSTEM for strategic purposes has
long been recognized.
The River and iiarbors bill, which -
nov before Congress. makes provision
for the improvcmc nf some links ~ this
canal. which IL designed ultimately 70
form IN inland passage from the Great
Lakes 10 the Gnlf but it provides no com-
prclicnslvc plan for such i waterway
There are two great difficulties IN he
Woy ~ the needed development al canal
in This country. In the first place, Con
ercss Is 50 strongly motiyat"d by sectional
nreItdifcs that il cannot work ont ony
eo,nprebcnsivt systcm Of canal develop
ucnt and no commission or Other body
has ever been provided 10 draw iip such
plan. In the second place, the American
public is so accustomed ~ depend almost
entirely upon railroads Tor ITS inland
transnortation that Il does not appreciate
the value a Hell-dcvcloped svs'em ot
canals would have IN reducing the cost
Of living
In Congress ali appropriations for
WATERWAYS are associated with the sPork
Barrel Each congressman has always
gtrivcn - get the greatest possible amount
of money appropriated for the improve
nent Of the riycrs, canals. creeks and
frog ponds IN ms own district This
g.. Pit hp gF.fv. gftaPf Ot
It's noforiety on Congress haa been to
make the congressman very sensitive
on the subject. without IN the least mitI-
eating their devotion to sectional interest
Tho congressman still roots for his home
creek. hut more modcstIv than before.
VIZ are - far rs ever from compre-
hensive plan for the development Of
canals
In this country the railroads have been
allowed tn buy the canal and put them
ont ~ business. Railroads have super
scdcd canals in tho United States os y
means Of transportation This has led
tho average cifizcn to believe that IL IS
necessary, and even inevitable, that the
canal should give way To the railroad
lie thinks If D canal as something old
fashioned, like the prairie schooner and
the stage roach As a matter ri fact
canals substitute the cheapest and best
way 10 haul heavy freight, such as coal
bricks forn and lumber # IS a waste
10 haul these things BY rail and the waste
becomes larger as the coet Of ratlroafIng
rises All progressive European countries
have developed their canals To supplement
their railroads And the bulk Of traffic
in the nIted states Is 50 great that there
II plenty of It for both canals and railroads
coal SITUATION.
Take 11ho coal situation last winter
The coolest winter 10 fifty years was made
more terrible to the eastern states because
coal could not be delivered Railways
working at top speed were unable to cope
with the steady stream Of coal coming
from our MINES Had our unused canals
been in condition for service, discomfort
and suffering caused by Inadequate "oai
supplies would have been appreclably
lcssencd
The idea Of the farmer being unable
to get his produce to market IS associated
with the era when distances n this country
had not been shortened by rapid transit
Yet there arc farmers TODAY, in fertile
but mainly undeveloped sections, who
are far too distant from q railway or
navigable river to market their crops ut
4 profit Canals and nvers made navlg-
able would change such situations and
would lead to increased industrial activity
along their cntTe course.
Completing the inland waterway parallel
with the Atlantic coastline i not i back
70 the tow boa- project There Is no
question Of digging canals 20 that the army
mule out Of employment can spend his
last day traversiug the narrow path beside
tfafnr hs4 -ofs1
have Sunplauted rhc 9ciSuTeiy nulo for
shallow canals and ship annals deep
enough - accommodate steamers and
naval vessels are the ,ype advocated for
coastal sections OF the country.
\ canal system from Boston 70 Key
West Is not the big undertaking that It
seems at frst glance For one thing, the
baNs aud inlets OF the irregular Atlantic
coast make it unne esSaTy 10 construct
canals along the entire coast hne. And
there arc already 4 number Of short canals
which will serve as links III the chain.
Only new canal through New Jersey
TO connect the Delaware River with New
York harhor, and the widening and deep
ening Of the present cape Cod Canal and
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal are
needed 10 complete the system between
Boston and Norfolk
IMPROVEMENT COST.
Fha cost Of making Improvements and
digging new canals u complete the entire
lntra-eoastal route Is estimated at 81 500.
ooo
Introduction q the Rivers and Harbors
hill IS always signal IN Congress for
digging up local prejudicc~ and exchanging
wItticisms regarding pork This wear
almost every clause and figure has been
fought over ny congressman who are ap-
parentlv weighed down hy the nations
outstanding war obligations 81 SIS 00O.-
600, 900 These students Of national
economy have seized upon waterway
improvements as non.cs~entJ4lS. with
bland disregard ior the transportation
oi wartime which are suI
with rs and will remain untii the strain
upon the railroads i, remalt5.
The lntr3-coaStal canals have come IN
for a large share Of heated controversy
Does The gentleman from \ realize that
tins country Is facing u dehtif nf eighteen
billion dollars demands he gentleman
from +. lmprcssveiy And the gentle
man from \ replies - the effect that
there are various way- Of saving money
and that II IS not usually advisable to
begin with necessities
While Congress IS intent on looping off
81 dollar Hprp and > 1nliar tbara ~, r,,,os