Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-01
Great Waterway Is Needed
Service of Lake.to- Ocean Canal
Important to Western Farmers.
By ALBERT w. IEFFERIs.

lhe greatest present need or the farmers
Of Nebraska and central west is adequate trans
portation for their products to market, both
domestic and foreign at lower rates than at
present The farmer is also vitality interested in
obtaining cheaper transportation upon the man
ufactured product which he is compelled to
buy.
High as are railroad rates today they are
not high enough, according to the managers
of the railroads, to permit of earning fair
profit upon their actual values.
Then, again, railroads have TO money or
credit with which to construct the necessary
freight cars, equipment and rolling stock for
the transportation OF the country's products,
According to the Railway Age leading rail-
road magazine. the outlay for railroad cars for
the next three years will be as follows:
To make up present shortage ....962ooo
To provide an adequate surplus 100000
To take care Of increased traffic. 10000
To make up for deferred retirement 500
To care for normal retirement ..174900
Total needed in 8 years .712,400
This number OF cars will require an ex-
penditure OF some $2,000000000. Even if this
expenditure could be made by the railroads and
the 7l240O cars built, the various products,
at certain times of the year. would require ad-
ditional transportation facilities. We must move
with speed and despatch the peak loads of grain,
corn and other products when the markets are
most favorable.
One has but to study map of the United
States to realize that we of the Central West
should not be dependent upon but one mode
OF transportation. Such a course will lead in
evitably to commercial stagnation and indus
trial decay.
We have seen each year proof OF this
fact i'll the shortage of cars and rolling stock
when movement of grain is imperative. This
IN he dc NJ fha
tral West. In the course of my travels through
the more densely populated eastern centers. l
have had the occasion to ride on railroads
which bear high reputation for efficiency, but
| want to say that for good road beds, COM
Portable trains. capable crews and courteous
service there are no railroads in the country
maintaining better average than those in Ne
braska
My argument is against putting all of our
eggs in one basket; against the mental apathy
which year after year sees the need for add-
tional transportation facilities, and, instead of
developing our resources, vainly attempts to
remedy the situation by futile legislation and
excessive regulation.
If by the development of waterways we
can market our corn, grain and farm products
at great reduction over present freight rates,
it we can bing the ocean some 1,500 miles closer
to us and thereby get our products to market
at much lower transportation charges we shall
be derellet in our duty if we fail to develop
such facilities.
As a representative Of the people of Ne
braska, | have felt that I should make an ef-
tort to ascertain something of the proposed
deep waterways from the Great Lakes through
the ST. Lawrence river to the ocean and. from
July 10 to 10. I availed myself of the oppor-
tuny to accompany the Great Lakes-St Law
renee Tidewater association from Buffalo to
the completion of the work. that is, canals and
locks. etc, between Buffalo and Montreal.
would help to secure cheaper water transpor-
tation for the agricultural producers of the CEN
trail western states to domestic markets of the
eastern states, and at Liverpool and other for.
eign markets.
The propect is not new idea. The treaty
Of 1909 between the United States and Great
Britain relates to the boundary waters between
the United States and the Dominion of Can
ada, and created the International Joint Com
mission.
Congress, in 1919 requested the Commits
sion to investigate what further improvements
OF the st. Lawrence river between Montreal
and Lake Ontario were necessary to make the
same navigable for ocean-going vessels.
Engineers to conduct the surveys were ap-
pointed by Canada and the United States. They
have filed data with the international Joint
Commission which the Commission will soon
report to this and the Canadian governments.
If the report be favorable, then Congress
will consider the great project which to the
central portion Of the United States is hundred
fold more important than was the building of
the Panama canal. The Panama canal to the
middle and central west, is but of little bene-
fit, though it will prove of great value to the
coastWse trade OF country and the com
merce OF the world. whereas, il the Great Lakes
CAN be united to the Atlantic ocean, so that
ocean steamers may navigate to Chicago, Du-
luth or other cities 500 miles inland. load the
surplus grain and other products OF the west,
and, through cheaper water transportation rates,
carry them to the more densely populated sec
tons OF the eastern portion Of the United States,
or across the ocean to the markets of Europe,
it will save to the farmers of Nebraska from
5 to 10 cents per bushel on all the surplus which
they have for sale, after having provided for
the peoples of the central west.
The Welland Canal now being constructed
will connect Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. This
continent has many beautiful sections. but I
doubt If there is any section in the world which
will surpass the beauty OF a trip through the
St. Lawrece from Rochester, N. Y, to Quebec.
Canada. The lakes and the rivers, all clear and
OF deep blue, are so refreshing and possess
to say nothing of the Thousand Islands, cov-
cred with beautiful homes and ovcft,ung with
the foliage OF green trees. Surely the beauty
would not be 1essened if ocean-going vessels
were to transport through these waters the food
products OF the west to those who must eat
Iioll MoHuedl dioHe curing the past TWO
months ocean freighters have carried to Liver
pool more than forty million bushels OF wheat
The distance from Montreal. which is far in
land along the St. Lawrence, to Liverpool. is
3,lU miles. The water route from Chicago to
Montreal would be 1916 miles, while BY rail
from Chicago to New York is 9l2 miles When
we consider the subject, we marvel that the
great natural waterways have been permitted
to flow on, day by day as useless to the hu-
man race for, commerce as a painted ship
| ,kaI
distant when Our people and their government
will utilize the natural waterways OF this cor.