by way of the
St. Lawrence River, so as to pass full seagoing cargoes. It has already
been determined that the project is entirely feasible and of
comparatively moderate cost. The result would be to place every port on
the Great Lakes on the seas. Fifteen states contiguous to the Lakes
could find an outlet for a portion of their annual surplus quickly and
more cheaply to the overseas markets than through the congested eastern
trunk rail lines. It would contribute materially to reduce this
effectual stricture in the free flow of the farmer's commodities to the
consumers. Of far greater importance, however, is the fact that the
costs of transportation from the Lake ports to Europe would be greatly
diminished and this diminished cost would go directly into the farmer's
pockets. It is my belief that there is a possible saving here of five or
six cents a bushel in the transportation of grain. Although a
comparatively small proportion of our total grain production flows to
Europe, I believe that the economic lift on this minor portion would
raise the price of the whole grain production by the amount saved in
transportation of this portion of it. The price of export wheat, rye,
and barley--sometimes corn--usually hogs--in Chicago at normal times is
the Liverpool price, less transportation and other charges, and if we
decrease the transport in a free market the farmer should get the
difference. Not only should there be great benefits to the agricultural
population, but it should be a real benefit to our railways in getting
them a better average load without the cost of maintaining the surplus
equipment and personnel necessary to manage the peakload during the fall
months. It has been computed that the capital saving in rolling stock
alone would pay for the entire cost of this waterway improvement over a
comparatively few years. The matter also becomes of national importance
in finding employment for the great national mercantile fleet that we
have created during these years of war.

Another factor in transportation bearing upon the problem of marketing
is the control by food manufacturing and marketing concerns of
refrigeration and other special types of cars. This special control has
grown up largely because, owing to seasonal changes in regional
occupation for these cars over different parts of the country, no one
railway wished to provide sufficient special cars and service for use
that may come its way only part of the yea