Show WATERWAYS AND COMMERCE I One reason undoubtedly why our waterborne truffle has huts not nol grown i that our principal waterway system s except the Great Gleat lakes fakes viz 17 the Mis Mississippi lIs and ond Its Us tributaries is nol not so 10 situated with wilh reference to the main mam mun I currents of o commerce as us to be he able I to lo command a large amount of traffic I no matter mattor what rates may be lIe made on it In order that either a waterway or a railway may get het t and ac nc actually actually cheaper transportation by car carrying carrying carrying It it IK is not enough that thai II it should be willing and able to make low rates It Tt must also run In the tho same general direction as currents of commerce large lar to afford It 11 a substantial business The Tho general direction In which commerce moves moes moesis Is determined by hr tho economic law of supply and au demand People ship goods to make p fI profit they can only I make a n profit by hr shipping them from froth fromI where they are less Jess valuable to lo where I they the are more valuable h and where they the shall shaH be h less loss valuable or 01 more valuable is determined since sinco the com corn coming cominS corning ing inS of the time railway mainly by b condi conditions conditions independent of the way wn In which waterways run In this lids country COil n tr ow owing owing owing ing to history and ail economic reasons manufactured goods are shipped main mainly ly lv from front east to west yost and time the prod products products of ur the farm mino and forest from from west to east cant The amount I of or traffic which moves moes north and south is relatively small and there thero seems no ground for anticipating any substantial change chango in this respect As the tho Mississippi and its tributaries run mainly north and south It is 15 hard to see where a heavy heny traffic for them therm themI could bo ho obtained even oon though thou h the tho boats hoats on ou them were able to compete I successfully In Ih rates against tho the north nort h awl and south son th railways was wasI The situation of the tho principal wa waterways waterways I of Europe relatively to the main stain currents of or commerce ie is more fortunate The Rhino Rhine in ill Germany for example like the th Great Lakes In this country is ideally l eally located relatively to the sources of oC production and con consumption con consumption of or coal Iron ore Of etc to get geta a largo large arc traffic In them In Europe also alRo commerce grew rew rc up before tho advent of tho the railway and the direction direction tion lion of tho the currents of or traffic has hashe been he en influenced more by br tho time way the waterways run |