Evening star., 1953-05-10

will pass through the Seaway be-
tween Montreal and the Lakes each
year, for an estimated Seaway reve-
nue. of between $40 and $48 million.
These are "dreanl figures" based
on gueSSeS. They are far out OF
line 1Dith serious 1941 studies,
1Ukich ShoWed far loDer tonnGoeS.
Furthermore, there is no agreement
on tolls, so how can there be any
firm estimate OF revenues?
. Development of power on the st.
Lawrence will provide % million
horsepower Of energy for a region
now starved for power and subject
to high electric rates.
The dam 1DiH not provide the
American side IL million horse
poUer, as predicted, but only about
half that much reliable energy.
And there is no firm commitment
as yet about Uhat 1UiH be done
1Dith the po,Der the American side
gets. ... ...-
. THE seaway will provide q vital
national defense link in time of war,
taking ships almost one-third Of the
way to Europe in sheltered, subma-
rine-free waters.
The Irrational defense" approach
is smoke screen. thro1on up by
steelmen ,Uho iDGnt the Govern-
nent to build them a canal. The
locks 1Dould be sitting ducks for
bomberS or SdbOteurS. And tOh1t
about the other tlUo-thirdS of the
trip-open ocean through 1Dhich
ships 1Dould haze to sail after
clearing the St. Laurence?
. In the last war only small ships
could be built in the Great Lakes.
The huge shipbuilding potential of
the Lakes could be used for seagoing
vessels if 27-foot exit to the sea
existed.
What is the matter With the
great StipyGrdS at tidewGter, Which
1llDdyS haze risen to the occasion
II, time of 1DGr? Why do 1De need
to depend on ship production in
an inland sea that is choked With
ice for a third OF every year?
Opponents
The foes of the seaway have nu-
merous points of their own. Here
are a few.
. The seaway people talk about
ocean-going ships plying the Lakes.
Maritime Commission figures show
that far less than 10 per cent of the
privately owned American flag-car-
rying vessels have drafts of less than
q feet. Such ships could not get
through the first lock.
Official figures from the ports
OF Ne,D York, Philadelphia, Boston
and Baltimore reveal that, OF all
SeGgoing ships Grriuing and clear
ing those ports, about 80 per cent
actually dreD "a feet of UGter or
less. All that "27-toot draft" means
is that a ship cannot be loaded
deeper than 27 feet; it can be
loaded lighter.
o What point is there to digging a
SeaWay to bring ore by boat from
Labrador. when it can be shipped
around to Baltimore and trans
shipped by train at lower cost?
At prevailing rates, and figuring
so cents q ton as the SeGDGy toll
on ore, the bre1k-e0en point for
the shipment of ore either W1y is
Pittsburgh. In other WordS, ore
can be brought by ship to Balti-
more and rail to Pittsburgh for
the same cost as by Sedpdy to the
Great Lakes and rail to Pittsburgh.
North and DeSt of Pittsburgh it
is cheaper to send tt BY Sedwdy-
$1.03 q ton cheaper in the case OF
Youngstown. Since ttDo-thirdS of
all ore in the United States is con-
Sun1ed north and WeSt of Pitts
bur0h, the Sed,Ody obviously mould
SGUe shippers money. This Sdvtn0
Dould be reflected in lotDer prices
of steel.
. The admission of world shipping
to the Great Lakes would flood the
Central United States with cheap,
goods. cause unem-
ployment and depresS living stand
ards.
Precisely the same tariffs are
charged on goods entering at Lo-
rain, Ohio, as on identical goods
entering at New York. The dpGil-
ability of NeW York port facilities
to foreign shipping has not hurt
that city: iDhy should tt harm the
Midwest?
. Competition from the seaway
would ruin the railroads and At
lantic ports.
Opponents OF the seGWdy also