The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-03-09
SOME BIG LOCAL
PROBLEMS

This is a period when great ques-
tions loom before the nations, ana
men of big, broad ideas find plenty
Of scope for action. There are the
international debts ana commerce'
questions of tariffs and reconstruc-
ton problems galore, and then there
are the projects advocated to help
to make the future better than the
past.
The southland wants to see Muscle
Shoals project brought into action;
the west wants reclamation OF dry
lands; the southern states want
reclamation of wet lands and the
northern and middle western states
want the new waterway thru the
ST. Lawrence river and the Great
lakes. New York tells them 1t Is
impractical, and invites them TO- use
the Erie canal and the Hudson river
waterway. It reminds them that the
nronosed new waterway is closed by
Ice for the winter season and tnat
ocean going vessels cannot prontapiy
operate thru the lakes and locks
ANYHOW in competition with smaller
vessels and why build at 80 great
expense to accommodate the ocean
liners.
The advocates of the new route
say that the canals thru New YORK
state are also closed for the winter
season, that the New York terminals
lave always been source OF great
delay and expense and breeders OF
car famines, and they show that the
advantages OF moving wheat alone
from thirteen states in the Missis-
sippi valley would more than pay
the entire cost Of the waterway every
year. and they say there are equally
great advantages to be en?oyea ~
Shining stock and other freight east
and manufactured articles west
Resides ali that. the Canadian gov
eminent wants to participate IN tne
construction and use Of the new
route and pay half Of the cost. Inc
two governments have dealt together
in partnership for over nunare Z.
wears in policing the border ana ~
the management of commerce. anu :.
have been getting along so Wen !.
Iends encouragement to the theory
that the two countries can operate
some canals and locks as partners
II costs about $35 a car to ge'
wheat thru the New York terminals
and makes a great delay. Wnen,
ever there is a car famine, raiiloau
officials say they have plenty OF cars
hnt that thousands Of them are tleo
nm IN the terminals at the ports OF
New York. Galveston, New orleans
and other places that would be some
What relieved il the new waterway
were put into operation.
The estimated cost of the new
proiect is $250,000,O0O. and II IL
Estimated that 1t will save $2S0,0Oo,-
oO0 annually for thirteen states IN
the grain trade, not to mention the
advantage to Canada in the same
Industry. and all the other branches
of ind lstry in both countries. Ao.
vocates of the project claim that
when we begin to move great quan |,
titles of wheat from the Unlted
States and Canada to Europe, our
terminals and the Canadian term
mails get choked with loaded cars
and set there for days and weeks ana
while it is being slowly transferred
thru the elevators, the meek OF the
bottle" SO to speak, the wheat ar
riyes from Australia and Argentine
and fills the European demand and
we have a long period of depression
with little demand for our grain. IL
is the same thing that happens IN
marketing Idaho potatoes. and the
car congestion in the terminals in
the grain trade keeps back our cars
till potatoes come in from other
parts of the country and then we
have to hold ours or lose sale alto
gether, when, for time, the buyers
had been clamoring for delivery OF
uurS.
Anybody that wants to work on
big problems can find them these
days, and the Snake river valley has
its storage project to think about.
Have we the vision to grasp it?