The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-04-19
WATERWAY
NEGLECT Is
HELD CRAVE
Mississippi Assn Warns
U. S. Inland Routes
Must Be Developed.

st. Louis, Mo-, April 19.-The
United States must develop and en-
courage her inland waterways
transportation if she expects to re-
tain her position in the world of
commerce This warning was
sounded by speakers at the con-
vention of the Mississippi Valley
Waterways association today.
The railroads have reached the
limit Of their capacity, it was en-
phasized. Speakers also urged that
the association be merged with the
Mississippi Valley association,
which opens its convention here to-
morrow.
James E. Smith of this city. pres
ldent of the association, asserted
America compared with Europe of
90 years ago when the continent
discovered the necessity of using
waterways as carriers and built ar
tificial channels.
Values Are Slightpd.
We have natural channels" he
said. but it appears we do not ap-
preciate their value as carriers of
our products"
Brigadier G.. F. Hines, chief of
the transportation division Of the
war department, asserted the rail-
, roads welcomed the revival of wa
ter transportation as a necessary
ally in the solution of the transpor-
tation problems.
Commerce has a greater, more
urgent need for waterways today
than ever before he declared.
The present rail situation is suffi-
cient evidence of this.
! The demands which the rail-
roads are being called upon to
meet are greatly in excess OF their
combined facilities. There is an
existing unsupplied demand for
$4,000 freight cars. Railroad men
have admitted that every locomo-
| tive plant in the country would
J have TO work at capacity for three
years to enable the railroads to
catch up with the present demand.
| Railroads Inadequate.
| Thus the railroads are physical
; ly unable to meet the transporta-
! tion demands of this new era. OF
this work the waterways must per-
form an important share. And in
| assisting waterways to assume a
considerable portion Of the trans
! portatiOn burden of commerce, the
war department desires to become
a material factor. The operation
of the several barge services al
| ready initiated is but a single but
vital phase of this new undertak-
| ing Within the next few months
! it is anticipated that the complete
| river feet as originally planned for
Mississippi operation by the rail-
| road administration will be in serv-
ice. This equipment will total 40
steel cargo barges and six steel
| twin-screw towboats."
Resolutions were presented de-
manding that congress pass the
Newton bill. which provides that
approximately $65 100000 be appro-
priated for waterways improve
ments and completion Of channel
widening projects on the Missis-
sippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers
that were begun 10 years ago.
Censures Railroads.
| Congressman c. A. Newton. who
/ introduced the bill, censured the
railroads for having lowered rates
in sections of the country parallel
| ing rivers lin an effort to destroy
water competition" and censured
the interstate commerce commits
sion for having permitted it.
/ This foolish practice of rae
/ lowering" he said, has been abol-
ished by the Esch-Cummins rail
road act, which We enacted. as it
provides that no railroad shall
make a reduced rate on account o.
potential water competition.
THE act also provides for the
interchange OF passengers and
/ freight between rail and waIer car.
riers, and this is expected to he d
great impetus to the barge bust.
ness