The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-09-07
St. Lawrence Waterway Held
by Farmers to be Needed
More Than Panama Ca
nal Says Coverdale.

BY j. w. COVeruale, secretary American
Farm Bureau Federation
Editors Note: j.. w. Coverdale is
secretary of the American Farm Blu
reau Federation, the largest, most
active and important organization of
it's kind in the United States. 1t is
constantly seeking to solve problems
for the agricultural interests and TO
further their interests. To this end
a corps Of experts is gathering data
and information n when once the
bureau adopts a campaign or a pol
icy it is generally based on the best
information to be obtained. Mr..
Coverdale has adopted the inland
waterways project as a part of need
ed improvement in transportation of
farm products. He sustains his con
tentionS with some interesting fig
ures.
Eighty per cent of the foOdstuffs
of the nation are produced in the
Mississippi Valley states. Practically
fifty per cent Of the agricultural
products of the nation are produced
in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Michi-
gan, Illinois and states west and
north, which are effected by not hav-
ing proper water transportation out
let. S~eventy-five per cent Of the
wheat and sixty-tive per cent of the
corn grown in the United States is
raised in this same territory. The
price the farmer receives for his
product is based upon the price of
the commodity where the currents of
the surplus of the various countries
meet, less the transportation and
handling charges. Hence the Amer
ican Farm Bureau Federation is in
terested in any project that shows
possibilities of increasing the chances
for better farming conditions.
History tells us hat the basins of
the G. eat Lakes have had five out
lets during Tie PAST ages Str rom
Lake Superior down the st. CrOiX
River to the Mississippi; second
Across Ohio and the Miami River to
the Ohio River; third From Blue
Island down the Des PLANES and
Illinois River to the Mississippi;
fourth-From Lake Ontario to Lake
Oneida and through the Mohawk and
Hudson to the ocean; and lastly, the
st. Lawrence outlet.
1t is interesting to note that the
four historic outlets are all capable
of being converted into barge canal
ynifnc Wars 400 a canal lnp was
built and operated across the state
of Ohio, connecting Lake Erie and
the Ohio River. The second lock i'll
the Illinois River outlet is now being
constructed with the prospect that
some barge transportation from Chi
a reality. The St. Croix and Mohawk
River outlets both have at this time
active proponents and both routes
are entirely feasible for canal lines
Interest, however, centers primar'
lily in the developing of the present
outlet through the st. Lawrence
River. The largest o~cean-going ships
now come up to Montreal, which is
at the head of tidewater. They are
prevented from coming on up to Lake
Ontario because of rapids in the St
Lawrence River. An international
joint commission was appointed some
two or three years ago with author
ity to lave surveys made to deter
mine the feasibility and expense OF
opening this route from Montreal tC
Lake Ontario for ocean-going ship
ping. Hearings were held in every
principal city of this country and
Canada.
The surveys have been made and
the report has been made to Parlia
ment and to Congress. 1t indicated
that about forty miles of canal be
tween Montreal and the international
boundry will have to be constructed
The rapids above the internatiOna,
boundry can be submerged o.
drowned by the building of a dan
Just above the town of Cornwall. The
hydro-electric power from this dam i:
estimated at 100000 horsepower
AT a cent and a half per kilowatt-houl
for our half of this power the bonds
necessary for the entire cost OF ou'
part of the improvement would be re
tired in from forty to fifty years
This cost is estimated by the engi
neers at three hundred million dol
lars, based on last years cost O
labor and material, and upon thu
same basis as were made the engi
neers' estimates of the Panam;
Canal. The Panama Canal was actu
ally built for ten million dollars un
der the engineers estimates. These
improvements would permit ocean
going ships of 21-foot draft and un
der to enter all our Great Lakes
ports. More than eighty per cent o
the worlds shipping is carried in YES
sells of 21-foot draft (approximatel!
5000 tons) or under. Canada 1