New Britain herald., 1925-06-12
UNPALNTNRIE FACTS

NfAi"ti MILE FACTS
 Tho great lakes-to to-ocean water- way project, which is so strongly favored by western interests. re- cotvcd sterling criticism by r. II. Alfred, president Of tho rcrc Mar quotto railroad, at Minneapolis yes- tcrdaN-ln a city where the water way project heretofore has been strongly endorsed.
 The railroad president, in pre-. S"n'ing his criticism of the project spoke from the standpoint of self interest as railroad official The waterway scheme. he admitted. "onId greatly injuro the railroads, although the rail lines would he round necessary to haul traffic dur ing the months when the waterway project is icebound five months of the year.
 me western granger states have been Of the opinion that tho st Lawrence waterway would be A cheaper method of exporting grain 10 Europe. It so happens that grain can De stored, in elevators to await transportation facilities, so that iVe-months' shutdown every year would not be a hardship so far as 'n's cereal Is concerned. But there IS the prospect of lessened gain ex- ports to be taken into considera- 'loA; we are gradually consuming nearly our entire output of grain ana within a decade or two if is be- he'ed by experts that the nation Will he importing grain rather than exporting ii,
 me waterway would cost more man the estimated s75O,Q0O, 900. the railroad president declared, and jh this statement he probably was right Before the waterway was completed the cost probably would De over a billion dollars. It would take many years before the cost of the project could be met with say- ings upon grain transportation: and the only persons who would save any money, if in reality any would be saved, would be the grain ship pers. The cost of the waterway would come out of the general pub- lic' which would not gain a cent thereby, and such as are interested in railroad securities would lose.
 The St. Lawrence waterway project is a distinctly sectional af- fair-an attempt by western grain interests to induce the government to expend a billion dollars of taxa ton money for their benefit. Most of the money would come from the cast, the west would obtain all the benefits, and the value of the scheme as an economical route would be questionable. If the gov ernment charged tolls in conformity with the outlay to build the scheme the cost of transporting grain over the route probably would be pro- hibitiye, But needless to say, this IS not the plan, which is for the government 10 spend the money and virtually give the benefits if any. 10 the granger interests on silver platter.
 The west says the east is selfish in opposing the scheme; the east cannot be any more selfish than the west is in wishing the waterway constructed.
 Canada some years ago had a somewhat similar scheme on foot the Hudson Bay route. All that was necessary to do was, to construct a railway 10 point on Hudson Bay aud for several months in the year it would he possible 10 ship grain 10 Europe via a short water route But after the railway had been parllyr constructed and elevators begun, inc scheme was abandoned as imprac,icable in that it would cost more than the probable gains were worth. The St, Lawrence project looks even more unpractica- p.c. if everything IS considered- but unfortunately tho western hackers ol the plan do not consider uupaIa'aHe facts that they may not relish.