Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-18


has been authorized for years. The
sum OF money sufficient for It's CONF
plction has also been authorized. and
yet the money for It's completion has
not been appropriated. Tho result Ia
that until finished this great waterway
affords practically no relief or no bene-
NJ to tho millions Of people who arc
dependent upon II for tho purposes OF
trade and commerce. In other words
until NIL the locks and dams upon the
river are completed according to the
plans OF the engineers OF tho govern
ment, little benefit can accrue upon
what has already been expended. Ii
la plain that n railroad complete from
New York to San Francisco. except
space OF a hundred miles only out OF
the three thousand, would be "A very
annoying, unsatisfactory, senseless,
and incomplete proposition.
Expressing my own views only,
desire TO go on record as FIRMLY be-
| lieving that river and harhor I'M
| provement IN of the utmost vnluc to
tho nation, and will become more 30
ae the population of the country In
creases, and. therefore, to its trade
and commerce. also desire to be
recorded as firmly convinced that no
waterway enterprise which lies large
| ly outside of tho territory of the
United States should be undertaken
until our own internal rivers and
canals and the harbors upon our sea-
coast, up on the Great Lakes. and
upon the Gulf, are adequately and
abundantly cared for and converted
into complete and actual utility.
mo doubt these improvements will
cost money. All earthly things do
that are worth anything. The Diff
Guilty Is we expend vast sums upon
perfectly visionary and unnecessary
things for the sake of the so-called
public welfare. which in nowlse. how
ever. concerns the public welfare, but
rather interferee with It, instead OF
real and practical expenditures that
will result In good usiness-human
cmployment-the ono divine means
for securing happiness and prosperity
1 for everyone. A greatly less number
OF foolish bills-bills like the Maternity
bill, those for the naturalization OF
education and that acme of fanta site
conception which has for It's purpose
the teaching OF little boys and girls
how TO play, in fine-a lot OF other
measures to control every activity of
our individual life, devotinE the money
expended therefor TO practical pur-
poses, for practical good, would soon
show benef'cent results In a reetorc,i
national welfare.
Before leave the field OF general
observation upon the measure now be-
fore the House. desire TO briefly COM
ment upon matter Eer7nane TO the
bill, smuch as my comment will
relate to the subject OF transportation
4 generally.
Three Fundamental Problems.
There are three fundamental prob
lens. national in character. which con-
Germ most deeply all the people OF the
United States. Those three problems
are production, transportation and dis
tribution. No President. no states
man, no member OF Congress, "a rar
as I know, has attempted a. yet &c
consider these three plain facts ir
or national hfe in respect to theii
absolute unity. And yet they arc mos
intimately connected, and Will become
moro and more so as time gocs on. II
is inevitable that 1t should be 40 from
their very relations with eoch other
To solve one of these three problem,
will not solve the other two. They
must be somehow solved together
Up 10 this hour Congress views then
4. as absolutely distinct and separate
! To show the lack OF CO. ordination al
} far as Congress. itself. is concerned.
desire TO call your attention brief,
to one only OF these problems-th.
matter of transportation.
Congress assumes jurisdiction owe
, legislation concerning railroads
jurisdiction over the matter OF thei
: credits; the fixing Of freight and pas
: senger rates; wages. and the book
+ keeping. And yet Congress does no
: attempt 10 control the credit OF shi]
: lines or barge lines. or to dictate tn
rates of freights and passengers con
veyed on the water. Congress ap
propriates large sums of money ais
for rivers and canals, and very ap
propriately too. but thereby raisin,
up intense competition with the rail
roads and adding to the difficulties o
: both. Congress also appropriate
: millions for public highways, and the
: become also rivals and competitors O
the railroads, and OF the rivers an
. canals in all freight and passenge
: service. Thus Congress heartily can
with hardly murmur) gives money
large sums OF money, to embarras
. and injure the railroads by increasin
La =, TO- -
n and raises a horrible ciamor IL aid /
:, asked TO be extended to the railroad,
r This condition IS a senseless one an
NOT justified by glimmer OF reason
= II Congress had set out to produc
confusion, to SOW the seeds Of discoCl
r and TO tangle up and cmbarass thi
= great national function OF transpor
= tation, IL could have found no NOR
s effectual way of doing it. Sometim
= q am not a prophet). but sometim,
= and soon too, l know without being
n prophet, that every means OF trans
0 portation will be by necessity cor
r sidered as one problem, for a CROWN
n population and a growing nations
d need will compel it.
Wilmington HarbOr.
II desire now 10 speak upon an iter
Of this bill which engages my deeper
; interest. / refer to the development
OF the port OF Wilmington, Delawar,
: This is the one large city OF the Stat
OF Delaware and around 1t is com
y. prised, largely, all the Industrial &C
= tivity OF the State.
4 "The city OF Wilmington was sci
a tied in 1888 by the Swedes, and is on
! Of the oldest American cities on III
" Atlantic sea coast. At one time in 4,
= | history imnorfs and aYnnrtr nom