Evening star., 1928-11-27
BARGE LINES TOLD
/. TO ASK S1OD,ODO,O())
Senator Reed Attacks 0ppo-
nents of Mississippi River
Development.
BY the Associated Press.

Reed last night urged. the Mississippi
Valley Association to go before Congress,
not as "supplicants asking a benefac-
tion," but as business men asking for
money for great public investment.
Senator Reed, the principal speaker
at the associations tenth annual ban
quet, attacked railroad interests, which,
he said, were blocking the development
of the barge lines in the Middle West.
He turned a satirical eye on waterway
advocates who proposed asking Congress
for $10,0O0,000 when. he said, $100,600,-
600 would be more adequate amount
with which to equip the barge lines.
The Army engineers, under whom the
creation of channels and administra-
ton of the barge lines are carried on.
came under his criticism on the ground
that they were "Shrunken intellectually
by restrictions and Army traditions
They were not entirely to blame, now
ever, he said, but were hampered by
lack of funds to buy operating equip
ment.
we cavil about $10,O10,000 to build
barges for the 70 waterway projects IN
the Mississippi Valley, when we spend
$50, 900 900 to build battleSnlp.
There vas no caviling over dollars
when we made the italian debt settle
ment at 81 cents on the dollar, so tnat
Despot MuSsolini might proceed with
building his army and navy. In cur
settlement with Great Britain we threw
off Sl28.000, 900 of interest. That Sl2o,-
OOO, 900 would have built lot Of barges.
The British diplomats went around our
diplomats like coopers around a barrel,
nailed in the heads and stopped the
bungholes before our statesmen knew
they were inside.
IF the Mississippi River system were
owned by private individuals or a cor
poration, it would be Immediately
bonded for a billion and ten bill
lion dollars of watered stock sold SO
long as there were suckers to buy 1t.
Shippers "Crying for Service"
s'Do YOU think a private corporation
which had an investment OF $45O,0 0OO,-
600. as the Government has in these
rivers. would permit it to lie idle? NO,
they would finish the job quickly and
put enough boats in service to meet the
demands of shippers who are crying for
service"
8 Turning to the railroads, he said
"any railroad president in the Middle
West who tries to throttle waterway
transportation is so shortsighted,. he
should be deposed and his section boss
ought to be put in his place"
"The railroads." he said, "can pick
their right of ways, going through
cemeteries, houses and farms, because
they are regarded as public servants.
They have the right of eminent domain.
Enjoying these privileges, granted by
the public, as they do, they should not
be permitted to deprive the people OF
the use ond benefit of htese great natu-
raj advantages the rivers. This is
not warfare against the railroads, but
simple justice"
Reed discussed waterways from a
military standpoint, and said the rivers,
the railways and highways would be
decided to handle wartime traffic. He
described rail congestion during the
war.
"If the country has a war-and don't
think we won't have a war;" he said
warningly. God help that it will be
in the far distant future. But I want
the other side to do the suffering and
bear the burdens and not the United
States
Praises Coolidge Speech.
I'm this connection I want to say
that the finest American document
promulgated in the last 20 years was
President Coolidge'S Armistice day
speech"
Reed urged that the barge lines be
kept in the hands of the Government
IN fhnYr1 from hainn f0knn
over by common directorates and huge
corporations. In this, he Said he dis
agreed with many waterway proponents
who advocate turning them over to
private ownership when they become
profitable.
A review of the progress made In the
development of inland waterways dur
ing the four years since the Inland
Waterway Corporation was formed to
operate the Government-owned barge
lines and plea for further expansion
were made by Maj. Gen. T. @. Ash
burn, chairman and executive Of the
corporation, a speaker on today's pro-
gram.
1.-The year 1928 has been remarkable. ~
Gen. Ashburn said, mot only in regard
to matters of flood control and navi-
CATION, but in the development of the
Waterways Corporation, in the tre-
mendous interest that has been aroused
in the successful demonstration, and
the impetus that has been given to the
further development of the corporation
and other common carriers by water"
Brig. Gen. Herbert Deakyne, assist
ant chief of engineers, United States
Army, discussed recent accomplishments
in flood control and in land WATERWAYS
Improvement and outlined plans for the
future.
"The Army engineers visualize the
various units of the Mississippi system
as parts of a vast interconnected
system OF communications extending
through the entire drainage basin OF
the Mississippi" he declared. "Or
this system the Federal Government
has spent for flood control and naviga-
ton the huge sum of $613,00O, 900, OF
which $454,000000 was for new work
and $l59,000000 for maintenance, oper-
alton and care"
Characterizing Army engineers plans
for flood control in the Missouri VALLEY
as defensive measures that do not re-
duce the volume of floods a particle
Stewart Gilman, former mayor of Sioux
City, Iowa, advocated the construction
of storage reservoirs on the upper
stretches of the Missouri and other
rivers.
This great project of the Missouri
River development which is so vitally
important to the people of this coun.
try, producer and consumer alike" sale
Gilman, has been stifled and stranglec
in great mass of red tape, delays anc
Army regulations, and every one who
has gone up against this SLOW moving
unyielding machine becomes discourage
and wonders if he will ever see anything
of a practical character accomplished.
Dawes Pleads for Unity.
William r. Dawes, Chicago financiel
and cousin of Vice President Dawes
made plea for unity in the variou!
groups of waterway advocates and alsC
suggested an increase in the appropria.