The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1928-10-10
Mr.. Smith and the SeaWay

- gressive fight for the opening of the
Great Lakes-St Lawrence Seaway, in order
to give the landlocked interior of this great
continent approximately equal advantage in
water transportation with the nations two
seacoasts.
1t has been fight for economic equali-
ty, not alone for agriculture, but also for
industry. During the course of the fight it
has been irrefutably proven that the opening
of this natural outlet to the sea would re-
suit in a saving of approximately ten cents
bushel on every bushel of wheat raised In
the mid-continent, and comparatively like
savings on all other agricultural products
all of which savings would be reflected in an
equal increase in the price received by the
farmer, because the cost of transportation is
always deducted from the price the farmer
receives for his product.
The seaway would have equal influence
in the development of industry in the mid
continent, offering cheap transportation for
the importation of raw materials, and in turn
for the expectation of the finished products
of industry.
By the same token it would furnish
cheap transportation into the interior of the
manufacturers and products of our sea-
coasts, thereby reducing the costs of these
goods to the consumer, for ultimately trans
portation costs are paid by the consumer.
Throughout the long fight to advance
the cause of the ST. Lawrence Seaway the
only active opposition encountered in this
country has come from New York state,
largely from New York City and the city of
Buffalo. This opposition has been bitter and
aggressive, and has been we'll financed. 1t
has come, first from shipping interests
which collect toll on all shipping from and
into the Midwest, and, second, from the sell
fish interests of New York state which
would unload the practically useless New
York Barge Canal onto the federal govern
ment
The New York opposition has been ably
supported by Governor Alfred E. Smith,
who has bitterly fought the St. Lawrence
Seaway from the outset. In a communica-
ton to the International Joint Commission,
dated October 16, 1920, when extensive hear
ings on the proposed St. Lawrence Seaway
were being held, Governor Smith said:
when it is proposed that the Govern
ment of the United States join with the
Government of the Dominion of Cana
da in the canalizati0n of the St. Law
renee, as Chief Executive of this great
Empire State, comprising 10 percent
of the population of the. Nation, over
25 percent of the wealth of the Nation,
paying nearly 30 percent of the taxes of
the Nation. and embracing within it's
borders the finest inland waterway, the
greatest city and greatest port in the
world, would have you know that New
York State protests with all it's might
and will oppose the project to the limit
of its resources.
81 will leave it to the New YOrk-St.
Lawrence Commission to present to you
at subsequent hearings conclusive evil
dence as to the impractibility and alb
surdity of the plan which. l am con-
fident, will ultimately be defeated
This was Governor Smiths attitude when
the st. Lawrence Seaway was first proposed.
1t has been his attitude ever since. Proof of
this is shown in his message to the legisla-
ture on January a, 1928. In this message
wherein he referred to the New York Barge
Canal, he said:
81 am convinced that this canal should
sea waterway connecting the Great
Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.
l believe every effort should be made
to demonstrate to the people of the
United States the value of this pro-
gram"
Between the date of the first statement
issued by Governor Smith above quoted, and
the date of his last statement in his message
to the legislature, two complete surveys were
made of the two proposed outlets to the sea
by boards of the most eminent engineers in
the United States, and these boards unani-
mously reported the proposed st. Lawrence
as wholly feasible, and the New York route
as not feasible. In addition commission of
eminent engineers and economists, appointed
by President Coolidge, and headed by Her.
bert Hoover, made an exhaustive review of
the previous surveys and unanimously recon-
inended, the construction of the st. Lawrence
Seaway
Mr. Hoover found that the cost of developing
the st. Lawrence Seaway for navigation
alone would be between $123,O00,OOO and
$14S,000,000, to be shared jointly by the
United States and Canada, and that the cost
of the proposed so-called All-American
waterway across New York would be between
$506,000,000 and $631 900, 900, the entire
amount to be paid by the United States In
addition the report showed that the ST.
Lawrence route would be entirely practical
for ocean boats, and that the New York