Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-05

President Hoover's plans for increased
inland transportation, as revealed at
the celebration Of the opening Of the
Ohio improvement, are welcomed as a
boon to American commerce.
Realism and national meaning"
characterize the Presidents statements
in the opinion of the Detroit News. He
pictured the Ohio River" says the News,
"at least at 8 feet of depth the year
around. open to commerce from above
Pittsburgh to Cairo, Ill, canalized,
nfodernized, strategically essential water
route. Instead of tricky and shifting
channels bearing on CLANCY Journeys
boats drawing or feet and perhaps
laden with 500 tons of cargo, q dredged
and maintained channel, along which
tugs and barges, with fewer men and
less fuel, move 10000 tonsl We are out
Of the dark ages forced on the internal
water routes by the first eras Of railway
development But. like many current
problems, the development of OUR rivers
is never q finished accomplishment. It
must march with the progress of life
and invention With vision of the
whole and not in parts, all the tribu-
taries of the Mississippi and the Great
Lakes must be developed into a single
great transportation SYSTEM"
THE occasion gave President Hoover
an opportunity to deal with the water
WAYS vision of which for years he has
been one OF the chief inspirations" says
the Pittsburgh PoSt-GaIette, with the
provement sets the standard for other
such work." and that 1.-The steady
growth Of its tonnage, with the extern
sion of canalization, section by section,
gives an idea. of what to expect Of 1t,
now that the Improvement Is COM
pleted." The Cincinnati TimeS-Star
holds that lin his address and In the
dramatic river trip that preceded II the
American people for the first time be-
held as program to be executed Tor
the Nations good what hitherto has
been largely vision"
1.-THE inland waterways policy outlined
at Louisville" according TO the Kansas
City Times lis notable both for its
breadth and the soundness Of its con-
at once the imagination and the con-
structive enterprise of America. 1t is a
program worthy of great and prosper
Gus Nation that must be alert to the de-
mands of progress and must enviSion its
future welfare in terms Of vast under
takings"
ways stretching throughout our coun-
try and along our coasts, Of the Great
Lakes given q deep-water channel to
the sea, and Of mighty network Of
railways so organized that they and
these waterways are Complementary
parts of our finely adjusted, continent
wide transportation system" declares
the Houston Chronicle, lis q thing to
command our admiration and to arouse
pride in our country" The San Ber-
nardino Sun gives figures to emphasize
the magnitude of the Ohio work: I'm
1928 a total of 20 900 900 tons of freight
was moved on the Ohio River. This Is
twice the tonnage that passed through
the Panama Canal. Perhaps 1t is that
statement that will impress the people
of the rest of the country with the i'm
portance of this Ohio River develop
ment project"
Noting that heretofore there has been
| a division of opinion as to the merits OF
the ST. Lawrence and Lakes-to- Gull
marks: Nov it is beginning to look
| as II the two factions are getting to-
Rether. Each is able to see that both
waterways would be highly valuable
| The busy. productive Middle West could
provide trafic enough for both beyond
| a doubt. And the general stimulus to
business activity which would result
would be very likely to provide more
4 commerce for the railroads as well"
| II II =
The CHICAGO Daily News agrees with
Mr.. Hoover that the Ohio River IS by
no means the only waterway requiring
and warranting improvement IN accord.
ance with comprehensive nationa
plan of canaIization and general devel.
opnnent Of inland transportation By
water" and 1t holds that the Lakes