The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-09-28
GREAT Lakes and the Atlantic.

Great Lakes ana the AtlanIlc.
rney nave been confidently predict
ing CnaJ MIR. Hoover, pldulng Tor New
ork SIaIes great DlocK VI electoral
yoJes, would cannlly refrain, through
out the campaign, Irom showing any
preference Tor the more pracLlcapie
and more economical SC. Lawrence
Seaway, as opposed 10 the less pracu-
cable and more costly hudson rouCe.
But these prophets were confound-
ed, and the props knocked out from
under their criticism, when Mi. Hooy-
er, in his West Branch speech had
This to say:
I'VE have another great opportunity
for relief in the building Oh shipway
from the Great Lakes to the sea. Our
engineers have recommended the ST.
Lawrence route as the preferable out
let. The Administration mas under
taken negotiations with Canada upon
the subject. If these negotiations
fail, we must consider alternative
routes"
Not much chance for the best lit
tie misconstruer in all the Northwest
to misconStrue that. Mr.. Hoover ac-
ceptS the expert opinion OF the engin-
GERS that the st. Lawrence route Is
the better. Indeed, he has long been
on record as Fundamentally sharing
in that opinion. He is ready to take
over the present Administration
tentative commitment to the st. Law
renee route, as embodied in the nego-
tiations undertaken with the Canadian
Government. And he sees no need of
considering an alternative route, un-
less and until these negotiations with
Canada reach a hopeless impaSSe. APP
parently, he is willing to accept the
Hudson route only in the event that
the question becomes one of the Hud-
son route or no Seaway at all, through
Canada's permanent refusal to join
with the United States in the st. Law
renee enterprise.
Mr.. Hoover last night displayed a
mastery comprehension of the i'm
portance of waterway development
to solution of the problems of both
the Mississippi Vally farmer and the
inland manufacturer-to say nothing
of the inland consumer. Railroad
rates are far above the pre-war level
and cannot be restored to that Level
without the ruin of the roads. But
water transport rates are little if any
higher. Also the Panama Canal has
been built. Hence the slight advan-
tage previously enjoyed by the two
Seaboards has become tremendous
advantage, and the slight advantage
formerly endured by the interior has
become a tremendous disadvantage
AS Mr. Hoover says, 1T is as if a row
OF toll gates had been placed around
this whole section of our Country"
Unless the old balance is restored
one of two things eventually must
happen: Either agriculture and in
dustry must move nearer to the two
coasts, leaving the great Mississippi
Valley, the worlds most efficient
food factory, impoverished and desc
late: or the seaboard must be extend
ed back into this inland empire
through the Mississippi River and its
tributaries on the other
Herbert Hoover, familiar with vast
undertakings, and gifted with the Wis
ion of the great engineer, is doubt
less the best equipped man in the
world to direct this extension of the
seaboard back into the great central
basin. And he is so far-sighted as to
see that this shifting of bulk export
and import freight from boXcars into
boats will help rather than harm the
railroads, whose losses in tonnage OF
this class will be more than made UP
by increases in other classes Of
freight shipped by and to a more
prosperous Middle Yves TN n ne
apolis Journal.