Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-03

While the House of Representatives
has voted for the rivers and harbors
bill, which provides for acceptance of
jurisdiction over the Erie swego Barge
Canal in New York State, the battle
over canals continues in printed COM
msnts Chief opponents of the New
York canal are those who fear that it
will interfere with the completion of
the st. Lawrence waterway plans.
There are some differences of opinion.
however, among those not directly
affected on account of expenditures re-
quired.
Whatever may be said against the
st. Lawrence project" in the Judgment
of the Worcester Evening Gazette, "this
plan for an all-American ship canal
seems to be economically unsound.
whether the proposed transfer of the
New York canal system is really an
attempt to clear the way for the all
American scheme or is merely a desire
to ease the burden of the New York
taxpayers, there appears to be no
justification for the Governments TAX
ing over a canal which has cost more
than it is worth"
"The Lake States know" according
to the Duluth Herald, that the Erie
Canal route is inadequate, will be
terrlf1cally expensive and will serve no
good purpose. They know, too. that
the term 'all-American' is hypocriticaT,
because even If this route were used
and 1t wouldn't be-the cargo using it
would cross the international boundary
many times and would have to go
through the all-Canadian Welland
Canal"
1T is almost impossible to realize"
according to the Flint Daily Journal,
that the bill passed the House with
out further objection to such a project.
but apparently the Representatives plan
to leave the wrangling over the white
elephant canal system to the Senate"
On this phase of the matter the
New Orleans Times-Picayune remarks:
whether the elder statesmen will re-
open the fight on the New York barge
canal project and undertake to make
over the measure in other respects re-
mains to be seen. The tariff hangover
probably will delay Senate action on
this other business, but because of the
latter's Importance and urgent need
there Is every reason to expect that
Congress will not adjourn its present
session until the rivers and harbors bill
is enacted.
X X y
On the financial questions involved
the Chicago Daily News offers the COM
ment: illinois and New York have
evinced their willingness to transfer to
the Federal Government waterways
built by them at the cost of many mil
lion dollars. That foreshadows the
trend of future policy. what the Fed
eral Government will do with particular
channels 1t acquires, whether it will use
them as feeders or deeSen and develop
them, will depend on facts and factors
not now fully operative"
1t is pointed out by the Albany Eve
ming News that 80 per cent of the
American population is tributary to the
New York waterway route" and that
the United States gets a waterway
without cost, waterway on which New
York has expended millions of dollars"
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle argues that
1T is significant that the Merchant
some 800 leaders of the shipping in
terest, has adopted resolution in favor
of the project, which will cost the
United States Treasury about $30,000.-
600 before 1t is completed" The Eagle
believes that IAN all-American route to
many Americans is preferable"
X X X u
"The proponents of the st. Lawrence
shipway plan" as viewed by the Buffalo
Evening News, centered FIRE on the pro-
posal as inimical to the international
project; yet they were able to muster
only SO votes against the transfer of the
New York waterways. The number for
it was l48. OF course, this vote is not
to be accepted as representing the full
strength of those who favor the st.
Lawrence enterprise in the House. The
rivers and harbors bill is essentially a
log-rolling measure; it is loaded down
with projects of local character. But,
making all allowances, the vote against
the rival provision was surprisingly
small"
THE purpose OF giving the New York
waterways TO the Federal Government"