Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20
HOOVER TALK MAY
BOOST RIVER TRADE
Inland Waterways Interests
Look Hopefully to Hating
Decreasing Business.
BY WILLIAM RUFUS SCOTT.


President Hoover's speech at Cincin-
natl this week celebrating the compile
ton OF the 40-year task of canalization
of the Ohio River for a 9-foot depth
the year round Is awaited by river in
terestS in the hope he may see fu-
ture traffic justifying the expenditure
of about $4,000. 900 on the river and
its main tributaries, including the
Tennessee and Cumberland.
Reports received here from the area
involved indicate that, except for the
district, trafflc has either declined, or
has not made gains commensurate
with the hopes Of river interests, with
the following specific bad spots:
That the Cumberland River, 687 miles
long and on which approximately $10,-
100000 has been spent in providing
locks, dams and other Improvements,
has only one small steamboat operating
below Nashville to the point where the
Cumberland emptieS into the Ohio
River, q distance of 1872 miles.
No Through Traffic.
For the distance of navigable water
above Nashville, about 331 miles. con-
stantly diminishing traffic reported,
with no through traffic the entire
length Of the river.
That on the Tennessee River from
Florence, Ala.,. to the point where 1t
empties into the Ohio River, at Pa
ducah, KY, not more than two steam
boats are reported running. Expendi-
lures on this river for its full length
OF 639 miles estimated at around
$40 900 900.
That on the Ohio River from Louis
vile Southwestward to where it empties
into the Mississippi River at Cairo, Ill,
there are said to be no steamboats,
operating through service, and none
operating between Evansville and Pa
ducah, or between Paducah and Cairo.
The canalization cost for the Ohio River
itself Is estimated at about $40, ZOO, 600
The foregoing refers to steamboats, OF
the regular type which carry freight
and passengers. Barge lines are re-
ported operating irregularly in the lower
Ohio and occasionally or not at all in
the tributaries mentioned. There is
some tow-boat service, but this is re-
ported dwtndling on the lower Ohio
and its tributaries.
Mines Aid Navigation.
In the Pittsburgh-West Virginia
Cincinnati area, where coal and iron
mines are clustered thickly, traffic has
shown gain and accounts for nearly
River. This is local. however
Passenger business, excluding ferry
ing OF local nature. has fallen of on
all rivers to a small fraction of its one
time proportions. The general position
of trafflc on all inland waterways is
said to be the same as in the Ohio
River Valley and its tributaries, with
some local bright spots remaining.
In view Of these reports the attitude
President Hoover will set forth this
week will be especially awaited for what
future he will prophecy for the water
ways as a whole. He will be able to
cite the trafic increases locally. The
development of barge lines for heavy
commodities, particularly for farm
products, has been predicted already
by the President. This may prove to
be the fulfillment of the hopes held for
two generations that the steadily
diminishing traffic on the rivers, con-
sidered as whole, would be halted and
an upturn take place.
Operation Goes On.
1t is. noted that the locks and dams
on the rivers must be operated whether
there are no boats running, q few, or
many, and this with the repair and
maintenance Item requires several mil
lions Of dollars annually of Federal
expenditure.
The reasons for the slump of steam
boat trafhc are various. The auto
mobile and good roads are credited with
furnishing recently the most damaging
competition. Towns along the rivers
once only reached easily by boat now
can be reached on hard-surface roads
by trucks and buses, and at lower
transportation costs than either boats
or railroads can meet.
On the Tennessee River it is reported
that large cotton shipments which once
went by boat now 20 by truck and
trailers to the markets. Passenger bus
mess has left the boats for the Speedier
automobile and bus. The cutting out
OF most Of the timber on the rivers had
caused reduction in lumber and rail-
road tie traffic and the withdrawal of
boats handling 1t. Many bridges for
motor cars being built over the rivers