The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-09-08
By JOSEPH w. LaBINE

By JOSEPH w. LaBINE
Franklin Roosevelt's mind wan
dered away from his neatly typed
manuscript. Out front stood several
thousand people come to hear him
dedicate the Thousand Islands
bridge near Ivy Lea, Ontario. Be-
side him sat Canadian Prime Min
lister Mackenzie King. But the Pres
ident of the United States thought
only of water. Finally he spoke
of it:
81 look forward to the day when
a Canadian Prime Minister and an
American President can meet to
dedicate, not bridge across this
water, but the very water itself, to
the lasting and productive use of
their respective peoples"
Franklin Roosevelt was thinking
about the St. Lawrence waterway
system, dream he has cherished
since he was governor of New York,
a dream that marked his first de-
feat in the United States senate
back in 1884. That was the year
Herbert Hoover's ambitious water
way treaty came up for ratification
with Mr.. Roosevelt's blessing, only
to land in the legislative graveyard.
But last May 81, Secretary of
State Cordell Hull submitted to Can
ada the draft for a new treaty. And
several weeks ago President Roose-
welt made the above remarks at
Thousand Islands. So once more the
st. Lawrence waterway commands
North Americas attention; once
more two internationally minded ma
tions wonder if the $3.50, 900, 900 prof.
ect will ever be built.
An Inland "Seacoast."
The dream is an alluring one. It
emissions a new seacoast for the
United States, 1876 miles long and
reaching into the heart of the coun-
try. It would encompass 0,000-ton
ocean-going vessels plying their way
renee, thence up the river and down
through the lakes to Chicago or Du-
luth. 1t would include an abundance
of cheap power, principally for New
York state.
At Massena, N. Y, which state
department officials believe would
become new Chicago or Detroit
once the waterway is completed,
conservative residents are not too
optimistic.
cts bound to come" they say,
"but we won't live to see it,
Objections to the plan 60 back
pretty far, back to the days when
railroads first found themselves
competing with lake boats. Of late
more objections have developed, but
to appreciate this situation you must
know its history ;.
Canadians Built Early Canals.
Just as Americans view the Mis-
sissippi as the Father of Waters, so
do Canadians call the st. Lawrence
the Mother of Waters. One hundred
years before Boston was settled,
valiant Cartier reached the site of
Montreal. And before the Ameri-
can Revolution, canal-minded Cana
dams began digging their way
around the rapids between Montreal
and Lake Ontario, and the equally
dangerous rapids of the Sault Sainte
Marie. Canada's canal building has
gone on ever since, most recent be-
ing the Welland canal to carry lake
boats around Niagara falls.
Today the chief remaining job is a
system of dams to quiet those rap
ids between Montreal and Lake On
tario.
1t was in 1919 that the senate first
requested an international commit
tee to investigate the rapids. I'M
mediately came support from the
West, Midwest and South, stacked |
against opposition from New York
and New England. Up sprang the
st. Lawrence Tidewater association,
sponsored by active membership in
% midwestern states and supported |
by the powerful Farm Bureau fed
Grafton. By 1928 the Republican
party made the waterway plan it's |
major farm relief plank, promising
reductions of from to 10 cents a |
bushel in grain exports.
Americas impetuosity was not |
shared by slow-moving Canadians.
The United States commission urged |
immediate development to capital
ize on the 100000 potential horse
power which it discovered along the |
st. Lawrence. In less need of pow
er, and fearing that her govern
ment-operated railroads would suf-
fer at the hands of this new trans
portation competitor, Canada pre-