The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-03-07
(By w. E. RoLLEs.)


character of the big SCENE which GER
tain parties are trying to put over
up north to spend hundreds of millions
of our peoples money in a foreign
country. The daring nerve of the
hackers OF this scheme Is unequalled,
and the public in general is not aware
OF the powerful propaganda and wire
pulling which have been going on for
many months to force this thing
/. through.
Mr. Ransom Z. Odds, of Michigan,
pioneer automobile manufactures. has
had an opportunity to become familiar
with some of the details of this great
attempt TO spend the public money
unwisely. His northern home is in the
Great Lakes region, and he is there
fore in position to have first hand
knowledge Of the situation. The loca-
ton OF his northern business interests
and the fact that his companies are
goods have enabled him to weigh the
arguments fairly, and he has expressed
strong opposition to the st. Lawrence
canal project. He says:
TN these very trying times. it does
not seem wise OF spend several hum
bred millions OF public moneys on an
unwarranted or improved scheme. The
trend OF the times is very well summed
up in a recent magazine editorial
which states that one of the horrors
of the recent war is our loss of per-
apective in viewing public expendi-
lures. The innocent bystander who
merely pays taxes does nothing but
sputter bit, and the powerful organ
izatlons behind ill-advised projects
sometimes puts them over because the
public opposition is not properly ex-
pressed.
There are many points against this
new project that have not been given
10 the general public The difficulties
OF navigation below Montreal, due to
the heavy fogs, the seven mile current
and the 20 foot tides at Quebec, and
the fact that at best the proposed St.
Lawrence canal could not be operated
practically more than three months in
a year--these are strong negative ar
guments which the promoters would
prefer to have omitted.
81 am strongly in favor of water
transportation, especially connection
between the Great Lakes andsthe sea-
coast. much smaller expenditure of
money, say half the amount, and spent
in our own country, would give a route
70 our eastern ports by improving and
using our existing New York state
barge canal This barge camel has
never carried more than one-tenth of
its capacity. G.. w. Maytham, Of the
Maytham Towing company. stated
that in his opinion no ocean craft can
compete with the barge canal service.
Portions of its locks can be enlarged
so that our lake steamers could go
through TO some point on the Hudson
river below PoughSeepsie.. point
that Is overlooked by those behind the,
ST. Lawrence project is the fact that
ocean liners would never waste time
coming 1900 miles inland, as the loss
in time would be too great In fact
the wohle project seems so ridiculous
from an economic standpoint 1t
scarcely seems possible enough money
could be procured TO put across the
propaganda that has been published
without the public seeing through the
whole proposition.
is blessed with such wonderful ports
for transfer houses and purposes as
the Hudson river. because there is a
deep waterway for about 10 miles. in
fact. from New York City harbor as
far north as Poughkeepsie 1t would
he a wonderful thing If we could load
our automobiles and merchandise
from the middle west on lake boats
and have them delivered to any Of our
eastern seaports. If our lake boats
could connect with transfer docks at
eastern ports and transfer their loads
TO ocean steamers. 1t would be one of
the greatest benefits that could hap
pen for our industries in the middle
west
eat probably one-half the cost of
the st. Lawrence proposition the locks
or the barge canal In New York state
could be lengthened and the water
deepened enough for our lake boats.
I had talk with one of the secretar-
les connected with this ST. Lawrence
project, and he said engineers claimed
it Is not practical to go by way Of
the barge canal. This consider non
sense, and only part of the scheme TO
put the st. Lawrence project over. be-
cause with the waters OF the Great
Lakes TO work with, there is practi-
caliy no limit to what can be done
along the New York state barge
route
Mr., olds quoted Governor Miller,
who at the Atlanta deeper waterways
meeting at Savannah. Ga. recently
denounced the proposed st. Lawrence
ship canal project. involving an I'M
warranted expenditure of 5000 200, 900
or more, as criminal foolishness" in
wasting millions sadly needed for 9TH
err improvements and as an attempt to
realize an impossible dream, adding