Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-01-29
Cong. Peavey Proposes
Lakes Freight Fleets
WOULD LOWER FREIGHT RATES
BY BUILDING UP GREAT LAKES
FREIGHT TRAFFIC

learn the cause OF the economic
1al1ure OF the grain states OF the
northwest; and leaders of both the
jig po1ucal parties have made it the
oasis OF much political agitation, Con
grossman HUBERT FL. Peavey, of Wis
-on~l-l, representing one OF the states
81. Ell, mas told the members Of
congress that the cause is associate
with the dissolution of the railroads,
and steamship transportation compan-
es which occurred under the Pananiu
Canal Act, and which terminated
competition between the railroads and
Lake Carriers, thereby making
freight rates so prohibitive that the
farmer of the Northwest is gradually
starving to death or being forced in
to bankruptcy.
Mr. Peavey has introduced bill
providing for the establishment OF
transportation lines on the Great
Lakes, and to increase the capital
stock, powers, and duties of the In
land Waterways Corporation, the pas
sage of which, he declares, will re-
store general commerce on the Great
Lakes and relieve agricultural de-
preston in the Northwest.
Mr. Peavey pointed out that the
present lake carriers confine them
selves exclusively to the carrying OF
ore and coal, and that no private
transportation of freight is solicited
or wanted. This, he says, allows the
railroads to make freight rates to
suit themselves, and these are so
high that they can not be met by the
agricultural interests.
There is not single harbOr on the
Great Lakes today where physical
connections between water born com
merce, and that by railroad is encour
aged, maintained, or for the most
part permitted, said Mr.. Peavey.
Nineteen Northwest railroads center
ing in Chicago in no way compete for
or solicit the transportation business
now being carried by the Lake Car
riers Association, nor does the Steel
Corporations carriers try to obtain
the freight or solicit the transporta-
ton business for central North Amer
lea which is now being carried ex-
clusively by the railroads.
Neither myself or the people I re
present hold any prejudice against
the United States Steel Corporation
or the Railroads, but we believe that
our economic condition would be
greatly bettered if the Inland Water
ways Corporation shall be. authorized
to increase it's capital stock of $12,-
100000 to take over and to operate
the 800 vessels now belonging to the
United States and in the possession
and under the control of the United
States Shipping Board or Emergency
Fleet Corporation. These vessels are
now stationed in the several harbors
on the Great Lakes and Hudson
River where they are floating idle at
the docks and fast deteriOrating in
value. They were constructed by the
United States government during the
war especially for lake service. They
were of immense practical value in
such service and will of necessity be-
come of little or no value it left to
rot at their mornings. therefore pro-
pose that the said Inland Waterways
Corporation be authorized and en-
powered to put into actual service in
the carrying on of general lake COM
merce as many of these boats as may
be found practicable and necessary
and that the number of boats so used
shall be increased as rapidly as such
government corporation shall be able
to use them in the transportation SER
vice; that the said corporation be
given the necessary authority to Sc
cure and enforce physical connection
or contact between the boats of the
corporation and all railroads opera
ting in the territory adjacent to the
Great Lakes.
II sincerely hope that Congress and
the people of the United States will
restore the Great Lakes to the peo-
pie of that section of America as an
unrestricted, unobstructed channel of
commerce, restored to it's proper
place as the greatest natural inland
waterway in the known world, thereby
retriving the bankrupt farmers and
businessmen of the Northwest states.