St. Lawrence Route

The joint Board of Engineers of the U. S. and Canada announced last week the results of the most exhaustive research on the problem of inland waterways that has yet been attempted. Significant items in their report:

1) The St. Lawrence route is the most feasible for navigation and water power development. A channel, large enough for ocean ships, could be cut from Montreal Harbor to Lake Ontario, at costs varying from $350,000,000 to $650,000,000. This is about one-fifth of the cost of the proposed all-American canal through New York State from the Hudson to Lake Ontario, which was disapproved of last month by a board of Army engineers.

2) The St. Lawrence route would provide water power developments capable of 1,365,000 horsepower immediately, and 5,000,000 ulti mately.

3) In the dispute over the lowering of the water level of the Great Lakes (TIME, Nov. 22) Canada is as much to blame as the Chicago Drainage Canal. The diversion of water through the Chicago Drainage Canal has lowered the Great Lakes' level six inches, whereas the Welland Canal and the St. Clair River gravel dredgings have lowered it seven inches. By an expenditure of $3,600,000 on compensating works, the level could be raised 14 inches.

When Congress meets, the report of the U. S.-Canadian engineers together with that of the Army engineers will be submitted as a basis for legislation. Undaunted, Representative S. Wallace Dempsey of New York, Chairman of the House Rivers and Harbors Committee, will urge his bill for the all-American canal.