Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-05-26
DEVELOPMENT
OF WATERWAYS
CAUSES RUMPUS
Great Lakes to st. Lawrence
Project Being Opposed by
New Workers..

WASHINGTON, May 2s.--Is little old
New York City losing her grip as the
Nations chief seaport?
The Middle West asserts that Mex York
City u.s. New York City naturally resents
the charge. She attributes 1t to propa-
ganda In support of the Great Lakes St.
Lawrence waterway project, which the
Middle West considers essential to the
; future development and prosperity of
that great agricultural and Industrial
region west Of the Alleghenies.
Not only New York City but all Of New
York State Is rising a rumpus Of oppo-
! sition to the proposed waterway develop
ment. New Workers. are clashing with
Middle Westerners over 1t In Congress.
Governor Miller Of New York says 1t Is
impracticable and impossible. Senator'S
like Mckinley of Illinois and Pomerene
Of Ohio declare that Governor Miller
either doesn't know what he Is talking
about or is afraid that big lake cities
like Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit are
likely to deprive New York City of much
Of her commercial supremacy If the pro-
posed Great Lakes-st. Lawrence water
route provides the Middle West with
great outlet to the markets Of the world
The fight over the project In Congress
is going to be hot one, but the Middle
Westerners, supported by the "Agricul-
tural Bloc" appear to have better chances
Of winning out than do the New York
ers. even with their expected New Eng
land backing.
Think what 1t will mean to have the
Atlantic Ocean brought to the door or
the great agricultural and industrial cen
tiers Of the Middle West said Senator
Pomerene 1T Is true that very large
vessels will not enter the proposed water
49, faI IN Il n
1t should be Kept IN mind that 70 per
cent Of the worlds commerce is carried
abroad vessels Of 5000 tons or less
GREAT CANAL
PROPOSED.
The project involves the canaltzation
Of the St Lawrence River from Montreal
to Lake Ontario, which, 1t Is urged by
its supporters, would permit ocean going
vessels 10 go from one end Of the river
10 the other-with some needed dredging
here and there-and through the Great
Lakes even up to the head waters Of
Lake Superior
Chicago Cleyeland and Detroit would
thus become sea as well as lake ports.
New Workers. raise MS one objection to
the project the suspension Of traffic in
/ the st Lawrence for five winter months
| each year because Of ice and fog.
They forget that the ocean traffic
II Montreal is tied up in this way every
YEAR said Senator Pomerene, 'ana yet
# Is greater annually than that Of any
! Atlantic port Of the United States except
/ that Of New York city.
They forget too. that the lake trait
/ &c is substantially suspended during the
winter months. but that lake ccmmerce
has become so extensive that 100000 ono
tons pass through the Detroit River an
nually.
They also forget that the greatest
congestion In rail- traffic occurs during
/ the seven months when neither Ice nor
t fog would interfere with the Great Lakes
St Lawrence route"
Senator Pomerene sa!d that the 100,
900 900 tonnage nt the Great Lakes trnf
&c is nearly eleven times rs much NJ
passes through the Suez Canal ana al
most twnlve times as much MS passes
through the Panama Canal. He pointed
out that the cost Of al rail- traffic, as
compared with nil water traffic. Is es
timated al from i've or six 70 one. Hence
the country's vast railroad interests
which ara already vaEtng an uuceasing
battle In Congress against free Panama
Canal tolls for American coastwise yes
( sells are reported 10 be inning up IN ths
congressional Hobbies against the pro-
posal to give the Middle West the right
to dodge high ral rates by shipping its
products direct through the Great Lakes
md the st Lawrence TO the sea.
FCOSOAflCAI.
SIDE COVERED.
But the economical side Of the prob
lem Is one that Is appealing TO an In
crenstng number OF members OF Con-
cress
Forty two millions Of the American
people are found In the States directly