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;'~'<}&':;)'<:\::::}\::\:}\':::'::;::)I~' ~ '. ...,..... ,......'",... 0004'1 < ...,' ....,. . . '. ......... MISSOURI RIVER FROM KANSAS CITY, MO., TO THE MOUTH. of unrest and anxiety as a result of the present investigation. (2) The confinement of tho river to a fixed channel as contemplated by the project results in the reclamation and upbuilding of new lands that, within a few years, will become available for agricultural pur- poses. This will further increase the amount and value of property adjacent to the river, as well as the amount of prospective com- merce. (3) It is well known that the Missouri RIver carries large quantities of silt into tho Mississippi River, resulting in injury to the navigation of thl\t stroam, The silt comes largely from the caving banks. Tho revetment of these banks and the fixatioIi. of tho chan- nel will reduco tho amount of this material. 18. The board agrees with the distriet offieer that up to this time experience in tho United States on some other improved rivers, and particularly on the Mississippi, hl\s not been sueh as to encourage the expectation that a river traffic will develop commensurate with the large cost of improvement. It would he dIfficult indeed to nnd economic justification of the cest of the improvement of the Mis- souri River from past experience on other wntorways in this country havmg SImilar conditions. There is now, however, a renewed inter- est in river tmnsportation and steps are being taken at a number of places on the Mississippi and its tributaries to provide torminal facili- ties Il.nd cstahlish boat lines. The Government itsolf has under- taken l\n extensive program of Improvement on the Ohio and Mis- sissippi and on this sectIOn of the Missouri to develop the possibili- ties of such inland water transportation. Tho board believes that. the cominercil\l interests at stll.ke and the benefits to be secured are suffic1<'nt to warrant the continull.nce of such work on those main strel\ms as will afford a thorough opportunity to test their usefulness as transportation routes. . 19. 1110 United Stntes embraces w'ithin its limits widely varying conditions of soil and climate, with fatm, mine, and forost products of all kinds. Each section has some special adv~ntage in the pro- duction of at least one of the artides required in civilized life. To attllin tho maXImum benefit from these conditions it is essential that the means of intercommunication ancl distribution shall be fully devl,loped, so that produel'rs and consumers may be served at a minimum of cost. Both railways and waterways arc needed. Each class of tmnsportation has a sphere of its own. Destructive com- pl'tition. between thl'm is uneconomkal IInd wrong. In the morl' thickly settled pllrts of tho country hoth now flourish even on parallel lines. It is uncertain whother thiS condition is as yet possible in th" :Missouri Vulloy. Its inhabitants claim that it is. This waterway lies in a direct path of tmffic, and a well organized freight carrying line operlltes on it. When cqunlly effieaciolls and up to dato water transportation lines shnll havo been established on tho MiSSIssippi River, it seems beyond reasonable doubt that the commercial possi- bilitios ?f thoso stroams will be utili.zod. to advanta~o. The testi- mony given to the board and appoarmg !n tho r~cor<1 of tho public. heann~ shows potont causos for tho doclmo of river traffic ontirely apart Irom tho true rolatlve costs of transportation by rail and water. Changes of law have eliminated some of th08e causes and it is claimod that the operations of the Kll.nsas City-MissoW:i Rivl'f Transportation Co. givo pron~ise thllt the remainder. will disappear, and that through such agencies I.he much~to-be-deslred probfem' of