Evening star., 1921-04-15
|C|V|C BODIES URGE
| SUPPORT OF CANAL
Stirred by Prospective
Abandonment of Naval
Coal Shipments.

Washington business organizations
today rallied to the support Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal, which is
said to face disaster in prospective
withdrawal Of Navy coal shipments.
constituting the principal business
done over the waterway.
The Merchants and Manufacturers
Association addressed letter to Sec
retary DENLY Of the Navy. stressing
the Importance Of keeping all wa.
terways open IN order to relieve raH
ceu9estion. :, ~
President Bradley Of the Board of
Trade ana Secretary SeymOnr Of the
ChambeEy k%Commerce issued state
n,ent: sFpfe.sinE hops NO aetion
might jsppardize the future Of the
canal.
May Get Coal Frona Another Field.
Secretary DENLY Is giving the mat
ter his personal attention. Canal
coal shipments have been, going to
the naval station q. indian Head for
more than twenty years. but the de-
partment is now considering buy
ing coal from another nefd. which is
understood to have been offered at
a cheaper price.
Representative Zihlman' and other
Maryland congressman have suggest
ed to the Secretary that inasmuch as
the government has large invest
ment in the canal, It should be pro-
tected and the canal kept open in or
der that 1t may serve the Navy ana
the country generally when railway
congestion Is acute.
Should the Indian Head business be
withdrawn half Of the boat and other
equipment on the canal would be put
out Of business for the present year.
at least, it is stated. with the pros
pect of the canal not opening at all
next year. The canal was to have
opened March %. but is still idle in
view of the uncertainty as to how
much business will be developed.
The Merchants and Manufacturers
Association is interested in keeping
the canal open, not only to meet pres
ent needs, but because it anticipates
river electric power manufacturing
enterprises would be developed along
the canal.
Secretary Columbus' Letter.
After a conference with President
King Of the association in regard to
the canal situation. Secretary Colum-
bus today sent the following letter to
the Secretary of the Navy:
'sThe Merchants and Manufacturers
Association has been advised that
the authorities Of Indian Head con-
template securing coal from a field
other than the one at Cumberland.
which, 1t is claimed. may result in
the shutting down of the Chesapeake
and Ohio canal.
Perhaps. never before in the his
tory of the National Capital has the
coal situation been as bad as it has
existed in the past year and, to judge
by rumor, it will be even worse in
the coming twelve months.
eff, as stated, the failure of the
government to take this supply Of
coal coming down the canal might
result in a shutdown Of that water
way, q circumstance will result in
still further loss to the government
d'rsSs.y ns az anc the ,e'ilSS hish hopes and ex-
pectations Of the business interests
Of Washington for cheaper trans
portation lies in the development Of
waterways such as the Chesapeake
and Ohio canal, and if, as stated.
the failure of the Navy Department
to take this coal from cumber-
land might result in the shutting
cumstance will operate to the finan-
cial disadvantage of the government
in general. and certainly imperil the
welfare Of tho citizenship Of the Ma
tional Capital and the country in
general. now greatly harassed by a
fuel situation that doesn't seem to
offer. prospect Of early improve
ment. . ~
"The. situation should be thorough
ly Investigated. since the -hssards of
Transportation are great, and ini
tho closing up OF the arteries, of
water Transportation the result would
be in the nature Of calamity"