New-York tribune., 1922-10-13
Reiterates Opposition to
Project in Ogdensburg,
Center of Partisans for
St. Lawrence Waterway
Ignores Warming
To Avoid Issue
Means Millions Expended
ON Plan Not Yet Proved
Practical, He Declares
From q staff Correspondent.

OGDENSBURG, N. Y, Oct. 12.-Goy-
ernor Miller made the main topic of
his speech here tonight forcible de-
nunciation of the st. Lawrence ship
canal project. In doing so, his friends
agreed, he displayed a rare brand of
| political courage, the kind of courage
that does not shrink from facing a
large number of friendly voters and
telling them they are wrong on an is
sue of paramount local interest.
| The people of st. Lawrence County,
| and particularly of Ogdensburg, are
strongly in favor Of the ship canal
I project. St. Lawrence County always
I has been one of the most stanchly Re-
| publican districts in the state, and has
regul; .ly turned in most substantial
major. :es for the party. In the face
of this situation the Governor neither
lodged nor quibbled. Nor did he pay
the slightest attention to the prayers
and petitions of the local leaders, who
urged him to hide, behind smoke
screen Of generalities,, or to make his
! appeal to the pocketbooks of the hard
| working people Of the district by talk
| ing economy, but by all means to avoid
| coming to grips with the ship canal
| question, lest he endanger his party's
supremacy in the county.
Frankly Admits Hostility
According to my information. the
one place in the State of New York
where there is any public opinion in
favor of the ST. Lawrence ship canal
| is here" said the Governor in open
! ing his attack 81 therefore take ad-
vantage of this opportunity frankly to
admit to the people of this locality that
have been, as strenuously as I could,
opposing the propaganda for the con-
struction of deep sea ship canal.
"Let my adversary, when he comes
here next week. as frankly state what
his position is on this important sub
ject. You are entitled to know what |
have done, and my reasons for 1t, and
then it is for you to pass upon those
reasons and that course OF conduct.
Since coming here my attention has
been called to an item in local news
paper saying that / will probably be
asked to explain my attitude. / don't
have to be asked to explain my atti-
tude. am not going around the state
looking for votes. am simply pre-
senting to the electorate an account of
my stewardship, and it is for them to
say whether they wish that sort of
government continued or wish it
changed"
AS the Governor made clear his cate
gorlcaI and unequivocal position in
these words, an expectant stir rnn
through the house. All his auditors,
no doubt, we'll knew that he had CON
sistently fought the ship canal plan,
but obviously they had not expected
MIN to fling the fact in their faces, so
to speak, in this manner.
Cites Vast Expense
II have opposed the attempt to com
NIT this government to vast but un
known expenditure of She publ. money
for a project whose commercial fcasi-
bility has not been demonstrated con-
tinued the Governor, "and | lave
frankly admitted that if its feasibility
can be demonstrated the State Of New
York can have no legitimate opposition
to it, l have opposed it, first, because
OF the insufficiency of .he plans them
selves and of the estimates of cost.
"A superficial plan Of the work nee
essary to canalize the st. Lawrence has
been made, and an estimate of $780,
100000 offered, but competent cngin-
eers admit that the studies for the plan
have been superficial, that the plan it,
self is inadequate, and that the csti--
mate of cost is insufficient. No study
whatever, and no estimate, have been
made to find out how much it would
cost to deepen the channels of the
Great Lakes, to deepen the harbors of
the Great Lakes to build outer harbors,
wherever it has been favored to estab-
lish seaports, to coordinate the 1ail-
road terminal with ocean shipping,
which would be necessary. Confessedly
that expense, of which no study what
ever has been made, would run into the
hundreds of millions.
Plan Yet Improved
Second, have opposed the project
thus far upon the further ground that
no study has yet been made, and no
proof has yet been adduced, that it
would be commercially feasible to es-
tablish seaports in the Great Lakes and
to divert ocean-going ships to the
Great Lakes in sufficient volume to pay
for the enormous expenditure required,
ands no study has yet been made to
show that it is commercially feasible,
regardless Of the expense, to build up
the agencies necessary to handle world
shi,,p5ng for waterway which neces-