J909.] HAUPT— NATION AND THE WATERWAYS. 55 



clamoring for expenditures in their districts for isolated improve- 

 ments it becomes impracticable to enter upon any continuous and 

 systematic plan of relief. The frequent failure of the appropria- 

 tion bill for waterways is in itself conclusive evidence of the serious 

 obstacles to the development of these works due to general legislation, 

 and the paralysis resulting from the assumption of control over all 

 such works by a central authority is too often in evidence. With the 

 many devices available for the defeat of meritorious legislation, the 

 issue is always in doubt and is frequently determined by the policy of 

 the " steering-committee " or the demands from other departments or 

 bureaus of the executive departments, which have their headquarters 

 at the capital, and are in position to direct legislation by making or 

 withholding recommendations for certain influential sections. Thus, 

 the multitude of bills, the shortness of the closing sessions, the 

 reference to committees not having the right of way on the floor, 

 the ability to filibuster or talk a measure to death through courtesy, 

 the reference to a committee with instructions to pigeon-hole, the 

 failure of a member to receive recognition, the necessity of dis- 

 tributing the patronage over the country to secure a sufficient num- 

 ber of votes to pass the bill, the strenuous opposition of vested 

 interests fearing competition, and the local, sectional jealousies 

 existing between adjacent centers, all tend to retard or defeat the 

 normal development of our avenues of transportation and to pro- 

 mote those of our foreign competitors in the markets of the world. 



That these statements are not mere glittering generalities will 

 appear by a brief reference to the history of the colonies when the 

 rivalries of trade and the cutting of rates were so severe that to 

 avoid impending ruin, it was determined to form a confederation to 

 protect the colonies from the devastation of the foreign powers 

 which were destroying their trade. Thus it was that the Constitu- 

 tion of the United States was adopted on the seventeenth day of 

 September, 1787, whereby the states empowered the Congress to 

 " regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several 

 states, and with the indian tribes." 



JMany are the expositions which have been published as to the 

 scope and meaning of these powers, but the opinion of the framers 

 of this Magna Charta, are unanimous as to the fact that the states 



