Evening star., 1922-02-12

and industry throughout the middle
| west. a growth with which the rail-
roads have failed to keep pace; Great
Britain's industrial progress has been
due to her access to the sea; the re-
gion tributary to the Great Lakes
can become a great factor in the
worlds markets if given a practica-
! Bile and efficient water route to the
sea.
The commission recommends: %
That the governments of the United
States and Canada enter into an ar
rangement by way of treaty for a
schehme OF improvement of the ST.
Lawrence river between Montreal and
| Lake Ontario; (2) that the new We'll
! land canal be a part of the scheme:
90 that the whole plan be further
Drought before the commission aft
er detailed investigation by engi-
neers; 90 that an investigation Of
the damage be made; (5) that a trans
fer of sufficient land be made to make
the engineers plans workable: CD
that Canada proceed to finish the
Weliand canal; ca that such "navi-
cation works" not wholly within one
country or another be maintained and
operated by an international board
! to be appointed: ts) that navigation
works wholly within one country be
| maintained and operated by the coun-
try within which it lies; (9) that
power works be erected and operated
at the expense of the country within
which, located; G0) that the cost of
navigation works be apportioned be-
tween the two countries on the basis
! OF the benefits each will receive from
! the new waterway, after five years
,, to be divided according to the trade
and commerce of the two countries;
| GD that the cost of navigation
| works" for the combined use of navi-
cation and power over and above the
| cost OF navigation alone be appor-
! toned equally between the two coup-
! tries.
In his address opening the national
farm conference. President Harding
said:
Il have spoken of the advantage
| which Europe enjoys because Of its
| access to the sea, the cheapest and
surest transportation facility. In our
own country is presented one Of the
! worlds most attractive opportunities
! for extension of the seaways many
| hundred miles inland. The heart of
the continent, with it's vast resources
| in both agriculture and industry,
| would be brought in communication
with all the ocean routes by the ex-
ecution of the st. Lawrence waterway
! sells to have access to all the ports
OF the Great Lakes would have
most stimulating effect upon the in
dustria1 life of the continents inte-
| rior The feasibility of the project
| is unquestioned, and its cost. COM
| pared with some other great engi-
neering works, would be SMALL
! The cost of this project is various
ly estimated from sso0.o00.Qoo to
j $1.10O. 100000. The total appropria-
! ton for rivers and harbors for nearly
a hundred years down to July /. 1921.
amounted to about s1.1oo.ooo.eoo.
| An enthusiastic promoter of the st.
| Lawrence route says: Improvement
| of the st. Lawrence will bring the
| ocean to the great lakes cities-1,50e
miles nearer to the great bread
basket and cream jug of the world
the Mississippi valley"
| Representative Chalmers of Ohio has
introduced joint resolution recon-
mending the creation of an interna-
tional board of six members to have
| Jurisdiction Of the construction. op-
Grafton and control of st. Lawrence
waterway with a thirty-foot channel.
one-haIf of the cost of maintenance
| and operation to be borne by each
country, one-half of the power de-
veloped to be credited to each coun-
try, and that a million dollars be ap-
propriated by each country for pre-
liminary work.
Opposition to the st. Lawrence prof.
ect at present seems to center in New
York, New England and Pennsyl-
yania. These objections may be sum-
married.: "a The United States would
make q mistake in neglecting the de-
yelopment Of it's own waterways
within its own territory, all Of which
would be postponed if the st. Law
renee project is put through now or
in the immediate future; (2) masters
of ocean and Great Lakes vessels do
not advocate the st. Lawrence prof.
ect: go railroad congestion cannot be
relieved by waterway closed three
months in the year by ice and fog:
(4) the New York canals are free of
tolls, whereas the st. Lawrence canal
will require tolls: (5 there will be
no such saving of freight as is ex-
pected: 60 the obstacles to the con-
struction and operation of the st.
Lawrence waterway are greater than
they were at Panama; ca the cost
will be far above the estimate. and
the taxes to be paid by the people
will be greater than expected; p
reports of several commissions con.,
denim the st. Lawrence project: (sl
the title to all water and power rights
south of the international line belong
to the state of New York. and the
federal gogvernment cannot divert
them except for commerce, whereas
the st. Lawrence project is more
4 than SO per cent power project:
I0) the additional cost Of deeper
ing the lake harbors viii be enor-
/ nous; (11) it is unlikely that the St.
Lawrence project can be completed