Imperial Valley press., 1941-06-13


imposing array of opponents of the
ST. Lawrence seaway develop
ment is marshalling its arguments
for an all-out offensive to defeat
this S285 million, Canadian-U. S.
power and ship transport project
which has been kicked around ever
since 1895.
Opposition is not political. Re-
publicans and Democrats are both
for and against it. and the seaway
idea got its first real boost in the
Hoover administration, from which
President Roosevelt picked it up
and has given it his blessing. OPP
position comes from several
sources.
Private utilities in the area nat
urally don't want government power
expansion, for the 1925 New York
State Power Authority act prohibits
a private utility from operating on
a navigable stream.
Railroads, particularly the east
ern roads, are opposed to it be-
cause it is a competitive threat
that water transport always gives
land transport in forcing down.
ward readjustment of rates. West
ern roads, however, are inclined
t. favor the seaway because they
feel the cheaper water routes east
OF Chicago would enable them to
ship more goods to the Atlantic
seaboard.
PORTS FEAR LOSSES
Port authorities at Boston, New
York, Philadelphia. Baltimore and
even Norfolk fear that opening the
ST. Lawrence and Great Lakes to
ocean going vessels would cut down
the business of their harbors. New
York state barge canal from Buff
falo to New York might suffer
Mississippi valley, particularly port
of New Orleans, opposes for the
same reason.
Pennsylvania, Ohio and West
Virginia coal producers oppose II
not only because water power al
ways competes with steam generat-
ea power, but also because they
fear the loss of Canadian Goa
markets if the st. Lawrence /;
opened to cargoes of British, Nova
Scotian, or even South American OF
European coal which could be haul
ed in as ballast on the return voy-
ages of grain vessels.
This one is a bit hard to figure
u. S. coal exports to Quebec anc
Ontario are now IL million ton:
a year. In spite of tariff of x
cents a ton against U. S. coa Which
has to be rail shipped from Lake
Ontario to Montreal, U. S. coal ha.
been outselling British coal 753 ,00t
tons to 10000 tons, and the Nova
Scotia mines have an additona
capacity of only 28 million tons
only a fourth of the present U. S
sales.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE ANGLE
The big argument for the st
Lawrence project now is that it is {
defense measure, but big battl'
will wage over just how much o
q defense project this is.
It's vulnerability is unquestion
able One well placed bomb on an,
of the 16 sets of locks could pu
it out of business. 1t would b
closed by winter from Nov Is t.
April Is, making it useless ifv
months every year.
The National Economy Leagu
and plenty of others argue that tn
country can't afford it now, ant
there is no question that it woul
cost money-s1l6 million fedora
funds, $50 million from New Yorl
state, $50 million from Canad
plus another $50 million from al
sources for deepening harbor'
dredging the Sault Ste. Marie lock
and other shallow channels TO ac
commodate 27-foot bottoms Q
ocean going vessels.
It would take from two to fou
years TO complete, maybe longer.
Is the manpower available TO d
the job, particularly in these day
of skilled lobar shortage? Engi
neers say average employment
would be ten thousand men, mucl
of it unskilled or semi-skilled la
Dor, which is one Of the thing
the country seems to have a sf
million abundance OF.