The Washington herald., 1922-03-03
PROSPERITY HINGES
UPON WATERWAYS,
SPEAKERS ASSERT
Rivers and Harbors Con.
gress End Sessions
With Banquet.

Accelerated development and use
Of inland waterways is now the IN
dispensable economic pulmotor for
resuscitating oud gssping inlandex
porters." according to DR.. Julius
Klein. Director of the United States
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce.
DR.. Klein spoke before a ban
quet which marked the close OF a
two-day session of the National
Rivers and Harbor Congress at the
New willard Hotel. Vice President
Coolidge presided s
DR.. Klein asserted, that the rail-
road rate on. steel articles from Chi
.cago to New York "a appfoxfrna teiy
four times that from Birmingham..
England, to London or Liverpool.
and Is as great as the ocean rate
from New York to Buenos Aires.
Sees Freight Cs.gestfpn.
Pointing out the need for ad-
ditional transportation facilities. to
facilitate marketing from agricul-
tural States of the Middle West, DR..
Klein said: when the movement
Of export traffic returns TO normal
the railways will be unable to
handle II, mainly because of lack of
extension and failure to obtain new
equipment Car shortage with an
inevitable slowing up Of Industry
is sure to occur. In Secretary
Hoover's words. We are driving
headlong for a setback to our whole
commerce the very moment we be-
gin to get on our feet.
In the opinion of DR.. Klein. the
development of our inland water
ways is the most essential step in
relieving inadequate transportation
facilities. With reference TO the ell
feet of transportation charges IN
competitfon of American manufae-
tured goods with foreign products.
DR.. Klein said:
Europe Has Advantage.
.rThe natural advantages enjoyed
nv our overseas competitors, be-
cause of their location. close TO the
sea are difficult enough to over
come. hut when this handicap Is
suppIemented by staggering trans
portation charges covering neces-
sarily long hauls to water 'front.'
the inland exporter is really up
against II. ,..,
The seriousness Of the situation
from an export standpoint Will per
haps be better understood. said Ine
director, IL We bear in mind the lac'
that nearly 40 per cent OF the manu-
featured articles exported from tnIs
country originate west Of Pitts
hurg east Of the Rockies and north
81 the Arkansas-Tennes line.
According to the director. the
minimum. rail haul eastward from
that region to the sea coast is AS
miles from Pittsburgh and l,osS
miles from Minneapolis and st.
paul. The haul from Chicago or
ST. Louis TO San Francisco Is s'zvo
miles. The minimum rail haui
to the Gulf Is Ioe miies
from St. Louis and sfz miles from
Chicago.
consider this and then think OF
Europe's natural trade advantage
with a maximum probable rail haul
to the coast in England OF not over
90 miles, and in western Europe
of not over 500 miles" the direc-
tor said.
Iudorres Proposed waterway.
Strong Endorsement. of the Great
Lakes-St. Lawrence waterway prof.
ect was given by Baron Stepanek.
Minister from Czecho-Slovakia, who
said:
IT venture to say that II this
canal can be effected, that II would
not only strengthen the economic
bond between the United States and
Canada, but. which seems to me
much more important, would en-
large the economic basis Of the
United States added the baron I
Vice President Coolidge declared
that prosperity depends upon, devel-
opmen Of waterways. Foremost
in the development Of commerce has
been the utilization of watervays.'
he said. Ever, since the beginning
of history the great marts of trade
have. been located within easy sc-
cess Of transportation by water
and eyen the development Of the
steam railroad has not been able
materially to- change that funda-
mental element of development So
that our own country, looks for its
present, and future development to
the use of its waterways. the nstu-
raj avenues and highways of trade.
i Defenas River Funds. : :
/ Senator Duncan Fletcher. of
Florida, speaking. on The Pork Bar
rei," declared that this customary
references. TO rivers and haroors ap-
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