Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1921-06-02

u>-rrurn organizations In support of the Great
" Lakes-St. Lawrence Tidewater project
WINsA->A Following is typical memorial from
4gHH4l|lAsr14 the State of North Dakota presented
E@sA by Senator Ladd:
EI&I whereas it Is proposed to make
such improvement in the st. Lawrence
as TO make the Great Lakes accessible to ocean
gong commerce; and
whereas this improvement will In effect bring
the State of North Dakota hundreds of miles
nearer the worlds markets; and
whereas there are within the State great re-
sources that lie wholly undeveloped while the
production Of all things Is diminished or retarded
by distance from markets; and
whereas because our producers and the
consuming public have alike suffered enormous
losses In the last year by transportation shortage
and failure: and
whereas because by reason of these conditions
the transportation situation constitutes an emerg
ent need and
whereas number of States have Joined
In the Great Lakes-St Lawrence Tidewater AS.
ISOLATION, having its object the early undertake
ing and completion of this Improvement: There
fore be it
Resolved by the Senate and House Of Repre-
sehtatiVes of the State of North Dakota, that the
state of North Dakota is properly associated in
the aooVe-named organization with its neighbor-
ing Commonwealth in pressing to advance this
undertaking, and that the action of the governor
ana the participation Of this State by the governor
and those who represent him In the council of
theSe States is approved;
Resolved, that the representatives of this
state in the Congress of the United States be
requested to facilitate and expedite in every DOS
sible way the prosecution Of this Undertaking for
the economic freedom of andlocked continent"
The Great LakesSt Lawrence Tidewater assoct-
alton is a voluntary association Of ii member
inrlnd inOW
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, North Dakota South
Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and
NEBRASKA The first three of these states have
aided the movement through state commissions
created by their respective legislatures These
states are today in a voluntary cooperative eff
fort attempting to impress the nation and con-
gress with the urgent need of adequate transpor-
tation facilities at reduced rates. to be provided
by the proper development of our inland water
ways.
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Tdewater prof.
ect has been discussed for several years. Prog.
reSs was interrupted in 1914 by the World war.
March 2 1919, Senator Lenroot of Wisconsin,
had incorporated into the rivers and harbors act
provision requesting the international joint COM
mission "to investigate what further improve
ment of the st. Lawrence river between Montreal
and Lake Ontario Is necessary to make the same
navigabe for ocean-gOing vessels together with
the estimated cost thereof, and report to the gov
eminent Of the Dominion of Canada and to the
congress of the United States with its recon-
mendatiOns, for cooperation by the United States
with the Dominion of Canada in the Improvement
of said river"
The result Is that the engineers appointed by
the twOl governments have been for some time
engaged in the making of surveys and the prep-
araton of plans and estimates for the informa ton
OF the commission. The commission has been
holding a series Of public hearings, at which ma
provincial.
transportation, and other bodies interested have
presented their views to the desirabity or 9th.
erwise of the suggested deep waterway and the
advantages and disadvantages Of combining DOW.
er development with the Improvement of uaviga.
tion on the upper st. Lawrence.
Following will be found brief statment Of tbe
I main features of the project. The writer holds
brief for or against it.
There are two phases to the project One Is
the opening up Of Great Lakes Tidewater trans.
! pOrtatiOn. The other Is the establishment in con.
nection with the work Of great plants for the
generation of hydro-eectrical energy to be dis
tributed over a radius Of about $50 miles. Ar
present the navigation and power projects ara
being considered as one.
The demand Of the Middle West is for wafer
transportation. This demand, in a nutshell Is
that the Great Lakes be opened to the sea so that
Ocean-gOing craft drawing from 20 to 25 feet can
steam from Duluth to the Atlantic and thence
along the seaDoard OF the western hemisphere or
across seas to the markets of Europe
The Middle West argues this way. The measure
of the countrys prOductiveness depends in large
measure upon the expeditions movement of its
enormous and growing volume of freight This
movement of freight is at present slowed I'D by
the congested condition of the railroads and east.
terminals. Additional and supplemental
Of distribution necessary. In short
the Middle West must be brought within touch of
the Atlantic seaboard, without breakage of bulk
delay and additional terminal charges
In this demand the "Midlle West" means the
"heart Of the nation" with about one third of the
territory, population and wealth.
The Middle West holds that great and costly
though the enterprise may be, It is entirely feas.
ibe from the standpoint of the engineer; that