OCR Text |
Show 85 to the extent of their capacity, and to what extent they are meeting the demands of traffic, and whether the water carriers utilizing such waterways are interchang- ing traffic with the railroads; and to investigate any other matter that may tend to promote and encourage inland water transportation. In 1924, Congress created the Inland Waterways Corpora- tion to carry out the policies it had enunciated in the 1920 legislation.66 This action was declared to be for the pur- pose of:67 carrying on the operations of the Government-owned inland, canal, and coastwise waterways system to the point where the system can be transferred to private operation to the best advantage of the Govern- ment * * *. To date, such transfer has not been accomplished. The Corporation operates Tx>ats and terminal facilities on the Mississippi, Warrior, Illinois, and Missouri Rivers.68 Also, Congress directed that, when the improvement of any tributary or connecting waterway of the Mississippi River, not including the Ohio River, shall have been completed or advanced to the point where within two years thereafter a sufficient and de- pendable channel for safe operation of suitable barges and tow- boats will have been substantially completed; and when the Chief of Engineers shall certify that fact to the Secretary of Commerce, the latter shall cause a survey to be made for the purpose of ascertaining the amount of traffic, the terminal fa- cilities, and the through routes and joint tariff arrangements with connecting carriers, that are or will within such years be probably available on such tributary or connecting water- way.68 After completion of the survey, and a finding by the Secretary of Commerce that water transportation can success- 96 Act of June 3,1924, 43 Stat. 360, as amended, 49 U. S. 0.151 et seq. " § 1,43 Stat. 360, as amended, 49 U. S. C. 151. 68 United States Govebnment Obganization Manual, 1950-1951, p. 253 (1950). 49 § 3,43 Stat. 361, 49 U. S. C. 153 (b). |