NEWS AND NOTES 



Waterways and the National Defe 



nse 



In speaking of the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Water- 

 ways, Mr. Frederic J. Haskin says: 



"The United States can well afford to con- 

 sider the question of constructing a deep 

 waterway from the Gulf to the Great Lakes, 

 for the national defense is destined to re- 

 quire it as much as national commerce de- 

 mands it. Canada is now engaged in build- 

 ing a system of canals, the completion of 

 which will permit the English navy to send 

 its fleets into the Great Lakes themselves. 

 For many years there has been a treaty be- 

 tween the United States and Great Britain 

 providing that there should be no war vessels 

 built on the Great Lakes by either nation. 

 But if Canada is to extend her seaboard into 

 the Great Lakes by canals the United States 

 would be placed at an enormous disadvan- 

 tage in case of war." 



5t' 5t' 5t' 



The Swiss Water-'power Legislation 



Several years ago the Swiss federal rail- 

 road management, finding itself menaced with 

 a large surplus, decided to engage in the 

 business of developing the immense water- 

 power resources of the country, with the 

 view to electrifying the railroads. Switzer- 

 land has no coal, but almost unlimited water- 

 power. Engineers surveyed the situation and 

 found that after the railroads were supplied 

 with electrical power there would be a sur- 

 plus big enough to supply the cheapest power 

 in Europe to a vast system of industries. 



The railroad administration went ahead 

 with plans for this development, but found 

 presently that more legislative authority was 

 necessary. Appeal was made to the national 

 assembly, but meanwhile the possibilities of 

 private profit in water-power had impressed 

 statesmen and business men alike, and both 

 classes had become interested in the devel- 

 opment of projects. With legislation hope- 

 lessly dragging and private interests grabbing 

 for the best things, Switzerland could hardly 

 bave figured how it was any better off than 

 the LTnited States, with a precisely parallel 

 cond'tion. 



But note how the Swiss redeemed their 

 situation. The parliament showing no dis- 

 position to act, the people circulated peti- 

 tions initiating a piece of legislation on the 



subject, which would precisely cover the 

 points in issue. The initiative and refer- 

 endum system gave the people the right to 

 do this, and they set about it with the pur- 

 pose of correcting the shortcomings of their 

 congress. 



Results were prompt and highly satisfac- 

 tory. The national legislature saw that the 

 people meant business, and would pass the 

 legislation without so much as a "by your 

 leave" from parliament. So the statesmen 

 got down to business, forgot their stock- 

 holdings in water-power enterprises, and 

 passed the sort of legislation the people 

 needed and were demanding. The water- 

 power trust in Switzerland has ceased to 

 give worry to anybody. 



Wherein there may be found rather more 

 than one lesson worthy of thoughtful con- 

 templation by the people of these United 

 States. — JVashin^ton Times. 



>« «? «* 



Economical Water Supply 



There are hundreds of locations where it 

 is desired to elevate water for haciendas, 

 railroad tanks, irrigation, etc., where the cost 

 of fuel and attendants is prohibitory, and 

 where there is ample running water with 

 two or more feet of fall to furnish the power 

 to operate a Rife Ram. 



The Colombian government engineer, Mr. 

 Maximo Gonzalez, commissioned by the gov- 

 ernment to make an examination of the 

 plant installed for the Rife Engine Company 

 of New York City, by Guillermo A. Jones, 

 the government engineer there, reports : 



"All of this work has been very care- 

 fully executed, and I cannot help expressing 

 my admiration for the competence, con- 

 stancy, and devotion of Mr. Jones in view 

 of the difficulties that had to be overcome 

 in carrying on the undertaking. Tn this in- 

 stallation there are three large American 

 rams, manufactured by the Rife Engine Com- 

 pany of New York City, which deliver from 

 210 to 230 liters of water per minute, rais- 

 ing it to a height of sixty-five meters through 

 an iron pipe six inches in diameter and 4,200 

 meters long. The minister of the govern- 

 ment has decided to distribute the water in 

 the town in accordance with a plan that has 

 already been made. There will also be foun 

 tains and public baths." 



779 



