Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-03-23
BUILD ROUTE
TO SEA NOW
What Congressman Browne and Other
Badgers Say.

Build the Great Lakes-St Law
renee waterway and build it at ono
That was the epitome of five Wis
; consin members of congress VIII
were interviewed on Saturday fo
The Sentinel.
Those who prepared statements wer
Congressman Henry Allen Cooper, Q
Racine, Edward Voight of Sheboygar
J. D. Beck of Viroqua. Edward E
Browne of Waupaca and Adolphus F
Nelson of Grantsburg Representa-
tives Klezka and Stafford promise,
statements later.
Representative Cooper said:
81 am in hearty sympathy witt
the waterway project, for, the com
| ing and going to and from Buffalo
| Cleveland, Detroit, Duluth, Sheboy
Igan, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Racine
Kenosha, Chicago and other ports
SO near the center of the great ag
ricultural, mining, and manufacture
ing sections of this country, of big
ocean freighters from Liverpool
London, Havre, Hamburg, Bremen
Toxic and Hongkong will result in
the greatest industrial development
of modern times, and in immeasur-
able benefits of the world of business
everywhere"
Congressman Browne said:
''There is no expenditure of money
which in my opinion will be of more
value to the middle west and bene-
fit more people than the improve
ment of the Great Lakes-St. Law
| renee waterway.
''The international joint commits
sion created by the act of congress
of March 2. 1919, having made a
thorough investigation, has filed an
exhaustive report based upon the I'M
animous opinion of the ablest engin-
GERS in the world, recommending that
the improvement be made.
when the Panama canal was
started, many of the best engineers
had reported that it was impractic-
able and even impossible President
Roosevelt, nevertheless went ahead,
and we know what great success
the Panama canal has been. The
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence under
taking has no such uncertainty
about it and there is no question
but what the great lakes can be
made an inland ocean like the Medi-
terranean and Milwaukee and all
lake ports, practically ocean ports.
by an improvement that will cost ap-
proximately $26O,OOO,O0O
'This will not only provide for
80 foot channel but will install
hydro and electrical machinery for
the development of approximately
100000 horsepower.
"From fifteen to twenty states,
tributaries to great lakes, with
population of over 100000 peo-
pie would find an outlet for their
surplus production and would be
greatly benefited by quick and cheap
transportation.
Economists tell us that fully so
per cent of what the ultimate con-
sumner pays for the necessaries of
life, is the cost of transporting the
article from where it is produced to
where it is used. Water transpor-
tation is cheap transportation. Two
dollars will haul a ton of freight
across the Atlantic, 5000 miles. The
rate from Buffalo to New York by
rail on wheat is II cents bushel.
sThe best authorities tell us that
wheat could be shipped on ocean-go-
ing ships from Duluth to Montreal
at a saving of at least 9 cents a bu-
shell. The farmer who raises the
wheat pays this excessive freight rate
in getting his wheat to the Liverpool
market. Thus there would be saving
on freight on grain alone, estimated
at $350.000,000 annually, which would
more than pay the cost of the I'M
provement. | have used wheat as an
example but the statement applies to
ore, lumber, steel and to everything
we export OR import. Cheap trans
portation rebounds to the benefit of
both the producer and the consumer.
Expensive transportation is an eco
nomic waste
"The coal sources of the United
States are limited and coal is becom-
ing so expensive that it adds great
deal to the cost of production. Cheap
power will lessen materially the cost
of production and therefore lower the
cost of the necessities of life. Con-
gress is pledged to improve water
transportation.
"The Esch-Cummins law has the
| following provisions regarding wat
er transportation: at is hereby de-
clared to be the policy of congress
to promote, encourage and develop
water transportation service and fac
ilities in connection with the COM
merce of the United States, and to
foster and preserve in full vigo1
II