Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-28
BIG WATERWAY PROJECT IS
URGED FOR ST. LAWRENCE

Copyright, 1920, by The Washing
ton iStarO

ton Starr
WASHINGTON. April 2S.-Creation
of an American Mediterranean in the
heart of the producing section of this
North American continent, which It
is claimed would solve the transporta-
! tion problem of the great west and
relieve the fuel and power crises on
the congested eastern seaboard, is re-
ceiving the serious attention of con-
gross and of the International joint
commission.
Opening up OF a water route through
the st. Lawrence river from the Great
Lakes to the sea. making every port
on the Great Lakes a seaport. has
been urged upon congress by Repre-
sentative A. +. Nelson of Wisconsin
in n speech 100, 600 copies of which
have been ordered for distribution by
important commercial and traffic or
CARNATIONS throughout the country.
Mr.. Nelson also appeared last week
before the International Joint Com
mission OF which Obediah Gardner of
R~ockland. Maine, lis chairman of the
American group, with X. Il. Glenn
of Winston-Salem, n. c., and Clar-
ence ID. Clark. of Evenston, Wyom-
ing, is associate. This commission
is now arranging an itinerary through
lout tho United States and canada to
conduct hearings on this project which
has been endorsed by former Secre-
itaries Lansing and Lane. by John Bar
tone Payne, both as chairman of the
shipping board and later as Secre-
tary of the interior department, by
Major eneral Leonard Wood and by
Secretary Daniels
Representative Nelson feels hope
ful OF getting a favorable report early
in the next session of congress-. on this
project of national and international
Importance. 1t has two important
phases-transportation and water
power. The importance of the devel-
opment has been emphasized by the
bureau of. foreign and domestic COM
merce. the geological survey and the
army engineers.
Herbert Hoover in a letter to Rep
r~esentative Nelson says: IF IL were
possible to secure SO comprehensive
e. consideration not only of this sub
Ject but OF improvements of other
waterway outlets from the central part
of the United States and secure their
organization In a definite national pro-
gram extending over years, IL would
Indeed form the most constructive ad-
vancement of our highly deficient
transportation problem.
julius III. Barnes chairman of the
United States Grain Corporation. de-
c!ares that this project through which
the nations ever increasing d
ton and expanding traffic might flow
naturally. by cheap course to the mar
kets OF h world as of the greatest
Importance to the country, far beyond
that of any other single t~ransporta-
ton project which / can imagine. and
this is my deliberate conclusion out
OF thirty years experience in shipment
largely by water"
Representative Nelson. federal
officials and those best informed on
production M transportation prob
lens have impressed upon congress
tthat the st. Lawrence route is of
oven greater importance TO the west
ern part of the country than the
Panama Canal to the east. Maguis
Swenson. the president of the com
pany which takes care of the bust
ness OF the Observation-Disclosures line
doing a particularly heavy trade with
Minnesota and Wisconsin, points out
that this would make Wisconsin the
gateway of the west and southwest.
He says: Il can easily see the tre-
mendous saving In time and money
that would accrue IL we were able to
send u ships to those lake-ports.
A 1t is We find it desirable to
have our boats go to Montreal for
Chicago cargoes on account of the
great congestion, strikes and expense
incident to New York harbor,"
The feasibility and desirability OF
this development project directly af-
fecting fourteen of the great produc-
been discussed for several decades.
Progress was interrupted in 1914 by
the World War, and the extraordi-
nary NAM on agriculture and
transportation emphasized the i'm
perative importance of such a water
route. On March 2, 1919, Senator
Irvine l.. Lenroot, of Wisconsin,, had
incorporated in the Rivers and Har-
bors Act a provision requesting the
international Joint Commission ito
investigate what further improve
ment of the st. Lawrence river, be-
tween Montreal and Lake Ontario, is
necessary to make the same naviga-
BILE for ocean-going vessels" and to
report the estimated cost to the
Dominion of Canada and the con-
i gress of the United States with rec
concentrations for cooperation by
those two governments in the i'm
provement of this river"
i Prominent engineers and engineer
ing bodies have sent to congress their
affidavits that the opening up of the
st. Lawrence route is absolutely
feasible and would afford relief not
only to over-burdened transportation
facilities, but also would supply
needed hydro-electric power to sea-
board industries.
! congress by Representative Nelson
plans for a cooperative program be-
:, tween inland waterways and the rail
roads, declaring that destructive COM
petition between these two must
cease. The congestion around the
eastern terminals which was a great
wartime menace must be removed,
he said. by providing dockage on the
lakes.
II AS an illustration of the value to
agriculture and an incentive to in
creased agricultural activity i'll the
west he pointed out that the water
haul for wheat alone through the st
Lawrence would cause Il saving OF
: $12, 900, 900 to $4,000, 900 annually,
which would go into the pockets OF
J the farmers.
The relative insignifcance of the
estimated cost of the St. Lawrence
route, $780, 900, 900. only one-half OF
!, which would be paid by the United
States, is shown by Representative
, Nelson in comparison with the esti-
. mated cost of railroad rolling stocl
, for the next five or six years-S3,
600, 600, 900. The conservation of Goa
, would reach a tremendous amount
and the annual income rental OF tn
I immense horsepower on the Amer
can side alone would be about W.
, 900, 900 or a return of about 20 pei
G cent. on the investment.