Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-10
HURLEY OUTLINES
WATERWAYS NEED
Benefits of Low Shipping
Costs Should Be Extend
ed to Farmer, He Says.

In his first formal address as Sec
rotary of War Col. Patrick J. Hurley
told the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress today that the Government
now demands that the benefits of low
cost transportation by water which for
years has been available to the miner
and manufacturer, be extended to the
use Of the farmer"
Quoting literally from expressions of
President Hoover, Secretary Hurley said
that five projects in waterways develop
ment are dedicated to the reduction
of transportation costs between the
farm and seaboard."
1.-THE improvement of the Missouri
River, the deepening of the upper Mis-
sissippi, the completion Of the Illinois
River, the amplification of the Great
Lakes Channel and the canalization of
the st. Lawrence River need but to be
named" he said, Ito indicate their po-
tential effects on increasing the farm
er'S surplus by reducing the transpor-
tation tax on his products.
Assume Greater Importance.
"There is every indication" he added,
that inland waterways are steadily as
Stunning greater and greater Importance
in the country's transportation Struc-
ture. This is shown not only by the
traffic figures but also by the continu-
ance on a larger scale then ever before
of the aid rendered to the cause Of river
improvement by the Federal Govern
ment, as we'll as by the plans announced
for the extension of private and COM
mon carrier service, by the many sub
stantial contracts awarded for new
equipment and by the building OF
municipal terminals"
The time limit Of 10 years set by
Congress was described as a mistake"
by Maj. Gen. Lyle Brown, chief Of
United States Army Engineers, another
meeting in twenty fifth annual conven-
ton at the Willard Hotel.
Asserting that the work appeared to
be IAN emergency and fight" Gen.
Brown said "a doing out Of money
year by year" was mistake that can
be justified in this case only by the
supposition that our income prevents q
faster spending of the money"
Tells Of Work Accomplished.
He told the convention that since
OOO, 900 authorized for Mississippi flood
control has been spent or committed,
with the result that there have been
placed 100000 cubic yards of levees,
100000 square feet Of revetmentS,
5000, 900 cubic yards of dredging and
IT 900 linear feet of dikes."
Senator Brookhart of Iowa. discuss
ing the Missouri and Upper Mississippi
Rivers, said that opposition of the rail-
roads was responsible for the delay in
developing the Missouri, and that it ap-
peared "our Canadian friends" were not
going to cooperate in the Great Lakes
to-the Atlantic canalization project.
FavOrs AII-American Canal.
Senator Brookhart said that If Can
ada did not wish to cooperate in the
canalization project, he favored an
all-American canal clear across New
York State"
The Great Lakes canalization and a
similar project to connect the Gulf and
Gulf Coastal States with the Atlantic
were termed necessities by Representa-
tive S. Wallace Dempsey of New York,
chairman of the House committee on
rivers and harbors.
ether members of Congress, including
Senator'S Walsh of Montana and Con-
na1ly of Texas, were scheduled to adj
dress the congress this afternoon on
various phases of waterways develop
mef1t. -
This evening the congress will cele-
brate, the annual banquet at the Will
lard Hotel. Representative James M.
Beck of Pennsylvania will be toastmas-
ter, and addresses will be delivered by
Representative Ruth Bryan owen OF
Florida, Mobile Giacomo de MARITIME,
the Italian Ambassador, and Strickland
Gillian of Washington.