New-York tribune., 1920-01-15
St. Lawrence Plan
Called Menace to
Port of New York
Congressman Dempsey Calls
OH State to Oppose U. S.
'in Lending Canada Aid
in Improving Waterways
Nem York Tribune
" ash IN UtD3l Rur-sou

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14-Opening of
the st. Lawrence River for ocean going
vessels will divert freight from the
northwestern states away from New
York and other Atlantic ports and place
them IN minor class. Representative
dempsey. OF New York, declared in a
letter sent by him to-day to Governor
smith and Senator u. Henry Walters
ana, Speaker Sweet 'of the New York
Legislature.
representative Dempsey called upon
the Eovernor and the Legislature to on
poss the Improvement of the St. Law
rense River. The first step in the fight.
he said, should be the utilization of the
New York State barge canal
In his letter, Rrepresentative Demp
sey quoted section of the Rivers and
Harbors Act of March ., 1919, author
izing the appointment of a Joint com
mission Of the United States and Can
ada to study the feasibility Of i'm
proving the st. Lawrence River and
report back to Congress.
Means Rise of Lake Ports
NJ. Dempsey continued:
he PLAIN purpose of this section is
to have the United States unite with
CANDIDA in improving Canadian water
ways so that ocean going vessels may
transport the commerce of the North
west without break in bulk, from ports
on the Great Lakes to Liverpool and
other foreign destinations, and bring
back cargoes from these foreign ports
to lake ports from which they sail.
III this plan is practicable it will
result in New York, which pays a very
great percentage of all Federal taxes,
contributing her part Of the very large
expense necessary to improve Canadian
waterways, in order that commerce Of
the Northwest may be diverted from
it's present channels through New
York, Boston, Baltimore, Norfolk end
the other Atlantic ports to the inn
proved Canadian waterways, robbing
our own ports of a great part Of their
commerce and depriving them of the
commanding position which they now
occupy in world traffic and placinr
them in a relatively minor and second.
ary class
Representative Dempsey quoted Sen
ator Lenroot. OF Wisconsin, as having
said III the Senate yesterday during de-
bate on the water power bill that the
JOINT commission is now making its m
vestigation of the st. Lawrence and
Niagara rivers, and that fourteen
northwestern states have organized
FOR the purpose of doing everything
within their power to further the
project.
Must Use Barge Canal
After asserting that New York. New
England and the Atlantic states should
act promptly and energctcally to avert
the danger to their harbors and com
merce. Mr.. Dempsey said:
'lf is not enough, however, for New
York, New England and the Atlantic
States to combine to combat the dan
ger which threatens tnem from the
agitation Of this Canadian project
They must improve their own ports ant
waterways and demonstrate their ca
pacity TO carry the traffic of the coun
try. On New York in particular, rest.
the duty of devisin- means for the
utilization TO its capacity Of the Barge
Canal. The state has been most gen
erous in it's expenditures to construct
the canal. To stop with its completion
instead Of seeing that it is used, would
be to have expended $200,000,0O0 use
lessly. The chambers of commerce and
the business men of the state will be
glad to cooperate with the Governor
and Legislature in finding the best
means possible to use the canal"