New-York tribune., 1922-04-19
Calder Terms
St. Lawrence
Plan a Shan,
Masquerades as Solution
of Transportation Ills,
While Canada Alone Can
Reap Benefit, He Asserts
Denies n. Y. Is Selfish
Would Put Cash Instead
Into Intercoastal and
Inland Waterway Systems

FROM Tho Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, April 1S.- Senator
Calder, in a speech in the Senate this
afternoon, while admitting the need
for solution Of the country's trans
portation problems. opposed the St.
Lawrence ship channel. He declared
IN favor Of spending money for water
ways in the United States.
Denying that New York is the meek
OF the bottle for the export of Amcri-
can products, Senator Calder presented
f1gurcs to show an enormous growth
IN exports from Southern ports, all
tho way from Baltimore to Galveston
He put the minimum cost Of the St
Lawrence project at $500,OOO.0O0 This
LED Senator Townsend, of Michigan. to
reply. saying Senator Calder had mis-
stated the facts and pointing out the
highest estimate was S252O0O 900.
Senator Townsend commended the
project and predicted it would be put
through.
Senator Calder held That the St.
Lawrence waterway project was not
an answer TO the transportation prob
lem, though it had been presented as
such. "To that extent he said, ct
is a masquerader. 1t is at best, in
view of its existing conditions, an at
tempt to answer price problem.' He
asserted that when the St. Lawrence
project was completed it would not
help American farmers to get more for
their wheat, but would carry Canadian
Il 10
ment ahead for Canadas wheat land
until there would be 25O,0OO,0O0 acres
of Canadian wheat pitted against 49,
100000 acres in this country
Mr.. Calder urged completion of the
American project Of the intercoastal
waterway along the Atlantic, of water
ways along the Gulf, the Mississippi
waterway system and others. On this
point, he said:
For the amount of money that it
will be necessary for us to invest in
the St. Lawrence scheme under the
plan as now projected it would be
possible to finish the intercoastal ocean
highway along the Atlantic. construct
canal across Florida, provide the
necessary intracoasta development
from Florida to Galveston, make neces-
sary improvements on the Mississippi
system from New Orleans to st. Louis,
canalize the Illinois River and con
vert the Chicago drainage canal into
practical transportation link.
"This series of improvements would
provide practical waterways from New
York to Chicago by way of the Gulf,
every mile of the route being one that
could be traversed by craft built to
navigate an inland system.
"And when the New York to Chicago
waterway had been constructed there
would still be money enough available
to go far toward connecting Pitts
burgh with the lakes and with the Mis-
sissippi by means Of practical inland
waterways.
New York is ready to unite with all
her sisters in creating this great
scheme of intersecting national water
ways. We do not want any money
from you to help finance our inland
waterways. We are not asking for a
single dollar to pay for the upkeep OF
the Barge Canal. We gladly defray
these expenses out Of our own re-
sources, and we would with equal glad
ness pay our share of any expense in
volved in the more complete develop
ment Of the waterways, which can be
made so useful to commerce, industry
and agriculture in this country.
'Somehow there is an impression in
Congress and in the country that those
who ask for money to improve indis-
pensable harbors and useful rivers are
seeking a share of the contents of a
national pork barrel This is a very
unfortunate position to take in relation
to such vital improvements