The Washington herald., 1922-02-03
SEA ROUTE HELD
IMPERATIVE IN
SENATE SPEECH
Mckinley Urges Legisla.
tion Declaring N. Y.
Canal Inadequate.

Senator William B. Mckinley, OF
Illinois, appealed to the Senate yes
terday TO break bonds on the land
locked Middle West" by construc-
tion OF the ST. Lawrence waterway
recommended by the international
joint commission.
The Illinois. Senator declared that
the whole transportation system
OF the country must be reorganized
with the projected waterway as a
key to the reconstruction program.
The New York barge canal, SEN
ator Mckinley declared to be en-
tirely inadequate. II could not
take care of one-twentieth of the
freight that moves from the Mid
west TO the seaboard. he said. anc
is admitted by New York authori-
ties to be impractical for the great
purpose contemplated for the ST.
Lawrence waterway project.
For more than a generation" "
said Senator Mckinley. "the Middle
West has made repeated efforts to
gain a nearer way to the sea. 1t
is the age-lonS desire of a land
locked people
Kali InaoeNuacy grows.
For fifteen years the growing
inadequacy of railway transporta-
ton for moving the product of a
continent has been apparent The
breakdown of the machinery of
transportation in 1920. following
the strain of the war period. was
not a phenomenon. but an accen-
tuation OF the situation that had
existed for years during every
season of crop movements. The
necessary increase in railroad rates
still further emphasized the need
OF the deep interior. In order to
establish rates which would en-
able the railroads to live II was
necessary to adopt schedules which
would not permit the traffic to
move The country had come to an
impossible situation in the problem
OF transportation, which cdndi-
tions the industrial life and the
productive power OF the nation.
1T is a situation that can be
cured only by reshaping the ma
tional transportation structure Sc
that from every producing section
by a relatively short rail haul, the
nations products may be carried
to the universal water base. what
has been for a generation the in
stinctive desire Of the West to find
a nearer road to the sea and TO the
markets of the world is now an
economic necessity for the nation.
Normal Movement Heavy.
The movement from the Mid
die West to the seaboard is about
zoe, ,00o. 900 tons in what We may
consider a normal movement The
barge canal at its utmost capacity.
10 900. 900 tons a year In each di.
rection. cannot in any large way
meet this situation. Upon every
consideration We are compelled TO
conclude that the enlargement OF
rebuilding Of the New York barge
canal to furnish q ship channel IL
not practicable, and in this conclu.
sion we are confirmed by all the
authorities of he State OF New
York. All engineering opinion
agrees that the St Lawrence route
is the natural outlet. the line OF
least resistance. that the improve
ment is feasible, and that IL can
be accomplished at q moderate cost.
when the Great Lakes are thus
Joined to the sea, q Development
will be made possible upon an en-
tirely new scale OF that great rich
country from the Allegheny Noun
tains to the Rockies. New access
will be given to the markets of
the world from the deep interior,
and new communications will be
established between both coasts
and the great central plains"