Evening star., 1932-12-04
WATERWAY SAVING
. ON AUTOS CLAIMED
$4,000, 900 Annually Is As
Sured Through St. Law
renee Project.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Testimony that a St. Lawrence wa
terWay for oceangoing vessels would
save at least SIS 100000 year in the
transportation of automobiles for ex-
port concluded formal hearings yester-
day by the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee on the treaty with Canada
for joint construction of the project.
Chairman Borah announced following
executive session of the subcommittee
which has been studying the treaty, that
the hearings we're closed except for pos
sible testimony by Frank P. Walsh, rep
resenting the power authority of New
York State.
In the final day of testimony nearly
dozen witnesses. including Julius H.
Barnes, former president of the United
States Chamber of Commerce, several
Senators and Representatives of half
a dozen State governors rounded up the
case in favor of constructing the st.
Lawrence waterway.
Gives Savings Estimates.
The estimate of savings in the trans
portafion of automobiles WaS given the
committee by H. NJ. Robins. chairman
of the Foreign Trade Committee OF the
Detroit Board of Commerce.
And what can be done for one big
industry can be done in greater or less
degree for many others, . Robins SAID,
explaining that many other products
are shipped from Michigan into the
export trade.
Barnes testified the seaway not only
would be sound economically for peace
times. but would be a great factor OF
national defense in time of war. The
development of tonnage in the wake Oh
such a development is impossible to
forecast, Barnes asserted, a6bing that
history has shown it IS always greater
than previously estimated.
Ohio's attorney general, Gilbert Bett-
man. urged the committee to approve
the treaty'S provision limiting water dl-
version at Chicago to 1,500 cubic feet
second. His stand was indcrsed By
Henry N. Benson, Minnesota attorney
general, and Herman L. Ekern, former
attorney general of Wisconsin, repre-
senting Gov. La Toilette.
Bettman contended the Supreme
Court diversion limit adopted by the
treaty was extremely liberal to Chi
cago," and more than sufficient to make
q commercial success of the Illinois
waterway.
"Chicagos claim Of 5000 feet being
necessary for the waterway to the MIS-
sissippi" Bettman said. "is just smoke
screen for continued diversion Of Lake
Michigan water not for waterway, but
for sewage disposal purposes and the
production of power"
Others Testifying.
Others who testified for tlH treaty
included Senator Norbeck of SSlth Da-
kota, representing Gov. Green; Sena-
tel Frazier of North Dakota. Roy S.
NIacelwee. New York consulting engi-
neer; George E. Hardy, Toledo, chair
man of the Ohio Deep Waterways Com
mission, and H. H. Rice, Detroit Board
OF Commerce.
Hardy presented a letter from Sena-
tor-elect McAdoo Democrat, OF Cali
formal expressing unqualified ap-
proval" of the project.
Representing the New York State
Chamber of Commerce, w. H. Cover
Gale disputed estimates Of savings by
proponents Of the project on the ship
mcnt Of wheat, asserting they would be
small, if any.
He said there was no basis for claims
of saTings of from to 10 cents
bushel.