Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-03
WATER CARRIERS
Do BIG BUSINESS
Freight, Not Passengers
However, Paying Way for
Transport Concerns.

| Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. August 3---No matter
who paws the freight. il Is the freight
| which pays the carrier. This was en-
phasized today by reports from the
transportation systems which depend
little. If at ALL on passenger traffic as
a source of revenue
The rivers and lakes of the country
are carrying more freight than in any
previous season in years and the com
panies plying them and those operating
freight services on the highways seem
generally at high pitch of prosperity.
A report today by J. e. Carpenter.
overSeer of dams on the Ohio River.
indicates that by September channel
of 9-foot depth and 200 feet wide will
be provided along the entire length OF
the river 964 miles. Government dredges
now are rushing the work of compile
ton. When the Ohio dams were con-
Structed. it was planned that the chan
mel should be 500 feet wide. The last
of the dams is nearing completion ana
the channel over bars is being wldened
10 facilitate passage Of big tows. the
channel will be expanded to 500-foot
width later and the depth made IL feet,
Ohio Tonnage Larger.
In the last year tonnage handled on
the Ohio totaled 20,938,267 tons. or
1874, 6s7 ,000-ton miles. The freight
hauled will show decided increase this
wear and so will the average haul,
which in 1923. for all commodities was
64.3 miles. This improved waterway Is
opening the South. Southwest, inter-
mountain West and Pacific Coast to
shippers Of the East and giving
producers, of the South and West an
opportunity to reach Eastern markets
Inut
Before the year Is ended, the new
equipment already ordered for the
Federal Barge Line on the Mississippi
will be in full operation and the great
river probably will carry more freight
than at any time since the Civil War.
The level of the Great Lakes is higher
than at any time in modern memory.
This is permitting the vessels on the
great inland seas to load far more cargo
than has been possible hitherto. This
has stimulated and increased shipments
and increased vessels profits. So great
has been the rise that there Is serious
talk of levee construction near Detroit
and at some points along Lake Michi-
gan, where the lake has backed up
streams until property is endangered.
Pays Better Than Passengers.
Freight business has been far more
successful from an earnings standpoint
than passenger traffic in the motor
transport field. This is specially so in
the Northwest and Midwest. where the
motor truck is hauling all types ~Uf
freight from live stock down. The Min
nesota Railroad and Warehouse Com
mission, which has Just compiled its re-
port, declares that truck companies in
that State showed earnings of Is per
cent on their business while the pas
senger bus companies earned a little
less than per cent.
The Minnesota freight trucking bust
ness is largely in the hands of sub
sidiary of the Great Northern Railroad
and its development has been sys-
tematic.
It is with the idea that freight
transportation is more profitable than
passenger carrying that new develop
ments are being outlined in the COM
mercial aviation field.