The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-09-08
Moving Montana 1900 Miles
Nearer Atlantic SeabOard
Official of Body Organized to Dam the St. Lawrence Tells
Montana People How To Reduce Freight
Costs on States Products

economic position Iowa had today.
The present water charge for trans
portating wheat from Duluth to Buff
falo is less than two cents a bushel,
while the rail charge from Buffalo to
tidewater is 16 cents, and from New
York to Liverpool it is 8 cents. The
| greater portion of the 16 cent charge
between Buffalo and New York could
be saved.
Sea Ports Oppose Project
"In Montana there is nobody OPP
posed to the seaway, but there is no
great affirmation sentiment. | want
to say there are vital reasons why
there should be. You export so much
of what you produce and import so
much of what you consume that per-
haps you are more dependent than
any other state or transportation.
Your representatives at Washington
must not only act with all the force
a united demand can create, but they
must make friends at Washington
for the project. Every village, and
city, and farm in the state is inter
ested.
Opposition in the United States
thus far has come only from New
York. They have visions there of see
ing some of their tidewater business
transferred to points now far inland.
There is need for the interior to con-
centrate on the work. Economic ne
cessity will eventually force construc-
ton of the seaway, but opposing
coast areas will delay it if the inter
ior does not exert it's every effort"
Cost Would Be 1912, 0Oo,O 900
The seaway could be built at the
estimated cost of between $252,000,-
900 and 1912, 200, 900, borne jointly
by the United States and Canada. AS
a by-product the project would in
clude a power plant pe~rpetually gen
Grating 100000 horse power. If
the United States were to reserve a
royalty of two mills per kilowatt
hour, the earnings would in So years
liquidate the interest charge and
capital cost, Mr.. Craig asserted. Pri-
vate interests have offered to con-
struct and maintain permanently the
seaway if awarded the perpetual
right to operate the power plant.
The principal construction would
be at st. Regis, near the boundary
line, where a giant dam would be
built to back water over and sub
merge the rapids of the st. Law
renee river, with boats passing the
dam through a system of locks. Over
the entire seaway only locks would
have to be built. The Niagara falls
would be passed through a canal
Canada is now building to succeed
the Welland canal. Rights to use this
canal and the seaway through other
points in Canada would be perpetual
ly preserved to the United States
through a treaty already in force.
Cheaper Freights on Wheat
Mr.. Craig was referred to by Mr..
Ramsey as a man who has accumulat-
ed a coat of "goat feathers" through
many years of service in public enter
prises, and who has reused the inter
est of the nation in the st. Lawrence
seaway. Mr.. Craig, he said, was for
seven years president of the Mime
sofa State fair, is a lawyer by profess
sion and has done important work in
developing the pure-bred livestock
industry.
Mr.. Ramsey asserted that the sea-
way would within a few seasons be a
of saving $5,000,0 900 annual
ly to the wheat raisers of Montana.
'Ireland," he declared, "can now ship
L