Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-01-25
A National Waterway

the importance or having TINS IN
ternatiOnal project worked out
and the dreams of the great
Northwest realized. The Nation
maintains that the project will
not only benefit the landlOcked
Northwest but will be of national
benefit. Private interests are now
working hard against ratification
of the treaty with Canada, but the
objection will likely be overcome
for President Roosevelt said that
the waterway lis going to be
built" 1t is proposed to develop
more water power from the st.
Lawrence rapids than is at pres
ent contemplated at Muscle Shoals
and Boulder Dam combined.
The Nation article follows:
The fight against the Great Lakes
ST. Lawrence waterway, which in our
issue of December 81 we predicted
was likely to be made in Congress this
winter. took definite and dangerous
shape as soon as the new session be-
gan. Forces began to mobilize almost
for ratification of the treaty with Can
ada in spite of special message In
favor of the waterway from President
Roosevelt. AS we indicated in our
previous discussion, there is evidence
that the ppositiOn-nominally against
the waterway as a navigaticnal pro-
iect-is actually a covert attack upon
the power development contemplated
in the scheme, made by utilities in
terests of New York and neighboring
states which see their monopoly and
their oppressive rates threatened by
government-produced electric current.
This is not to say, of course, that men
have not been led into the opposition
camp for honest reasons, but the sud
denness and force with which the
storm gathered out of an almost clear
sky are not eXplainable as spon-
taneous change in public sentiment.
1t should be recalled that the ST. Law
renee waterway has been before the
public as a definite project for more
than a decade and had been gaining
favor all the time until the recent
mobilization against it. A prelimi-
nary treaty with Canada was ratified
in 1882, and it would seem that the
Senate should be more than ever
ready to go on with the project today
when the federal government is trying
to develop a large public-wOrks pro-
gram.
The arguments urged against the
waterway at this stage of the proceed
ings seem essentially trivial or be-
lated The technical objections now
raised have all been considered and
dismissed by our army engineers,
whose verdict must naturally be ac-
cepted by the average layman just as
it is accepted by President Roosevelt
That the waterway may do some dam
age to local interests, as does every
coded. although the extent of this
damage is probably exaggerated. New
facilities create new business, and
far from hurting the railroads and
ports of the Northern Atlantic states,
the waterway is likely to help them.
The argument of Senator Wagner of
New York that our wheat trade is
diminishing and that therefore we
should not increase facilities for it
would be sound if the waterway were
intended only for wheat. The fact is
that the waterway will further all
kinds of commerce. Virtually it will
bring the Atlantic Ocean 1000 miles
inland. making seaports of cities in
the Mississippi Valley and putting
new empire in touch by water with
the world at large. Not only should
it help the much-needed revival Of
our foreign trade, but it will be of
vast service in domestic intercom-
municatiOn.
Those who seek to create prejudice
against the project on the ground that
cur money is to go to Canadian work
men are on insecure ground. On Oc-
tober 20, last, Brigadier General G.. B..
PillSbury, acting chief of army en-
eineers, wrote to Frank p Walsh,
chairman Of the Power Authority of
the state of New York.
In accordance with your request
for information on the percentage
of funds furnished by the i'n'ted
States under the Great LakeS-St.
Lawrence Deep Waterway Treaty
which will be expended for Amer
lean labor, materials, ETC., | take
pleasure in advising you that of
the total estimated expenditures of
American funds of $257.992,000 for
both navigation and power works,
approximately 80 per cent Will he
expended by United States engineers
and United States labor and with
United States material. The re-
mainder. under the terms Of sub
paragraph % Of Article III OF the
treaty, will be for work executed
by Canad an engineers and Canadian
labO" 7' Il With Canadian material
for works within Canadian terri
tory 80 hc constructed by the tenn
Dorary st. aWrence-lnte national
Rapids section Commission. Ap-
prOXimately 60 per cent 81 the total
cost will lie evpended on WcrkS in
the state of New York.
If there are some who ask why even
fraction of tie penditures' should
go to Canadian lcbOr. they S.eOCH re-
member that of the three rapids in
the st. Lawrence river Canada il un-
dertakng to build the locks for two
entirely at it's own expense, as well as
doing a fair share of other work to-
ward deepening the present w terway.