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May, 1914 Our National Resources _ By F. Horton Colcock* The organization of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress was for the distinct and specific purpose of bringing to bear the whole influence of the country upon the Nationa! congress for the purpose of as far as possible utilizing for all economic na- tional purposes the natural water re- sources with which nature has en- dowed this wonderful country. Its object is so far reaching that it would be impossible in a short article to even begin. to show the objects to- wards which it is looking in the bet- terment of our nation. 'It is non-political, non-sectional, and entirely free from any ulterior motive or any desire whatsoever to advo- cate in any way special projects. It is composed of a body of men who desire to see the natural resources of this great country in the way of water transportation developed to its utmost capacity so that the great tribute that is now paid by the ordi- nary producer to vast, largely capi- talized companies for the purpose of transportation will be eliminated as far as possible. We desire to have the wealth producing population of this country brought into as close and intimate relation as is possible with the consumers from whom the ulti- mate profit is realized. We hold that transportation profits are only inci- dental and that it is the duty of every nation to eliminate them as far as is consistent with a proper respect for vested capital. We believe that water transportation is the cheapest trans- portation, the most natural transpor- tation and in the end the most inti- mate transportation between pro- ducer and consumer. The National Rivers and Harbors Congress has no fight whatsoever up- cn the development, private or na- tional, of railroad facilities. It does hold, however, that all the capital of this great country is totally insuff- cient to develop railroad facilities to that extent which will bring about the greatest development of this won- derful country. No special project under any cir- cumstances would be for a moment allowed to be discussed in this con- gress, however wide its territorial ad- vantages. It's the nation and the na- tion alone and its welfare as a whole that this congress is trying to influ- ence the National congress to place upon its strongest and best founda- tions for the future good. The congress desires especially that all army engineers shall realize that Les " *Director, National Rivers and Harbors Congress, Columbia, S. C. THE MARINE REVIEW in acting upon any project whatsoever they are deciding for a permanent feature of improvement and that once their special policy shall have been adopted that the government will feel that it has only been done after con- servative, and interested considera- tion for the future of this nation and that they will thereafter be supported in carrying that special policy to its ultimate conclusion. It wishes to eliminate as far as possible any con- test between individual projects ex- cept in so far as to convince whom they regard as the non-partizan, non- sectional court of arbiters of the best good that will result to the nation as a whole. The great curse in the past to harbor and river improvement has been the influence brought from time to time upon political parties for spe- cial projects. This has rendered the schemes for individual improvement when brought before the engineers in charge a matter of grave and serious consideration since they could' never tell to what extent they would be supported in a continuing project. Let us trust our engineers and feel that they are national and loyal and patri- otic and decide only upon such schemes as can be completed and re- ject such as the nation's wealth does not justify. Let go by the day when the effort of every senator and con- gressman shall be to get the most that he can for his own constituents inde- pendent of the best interests of the. nation at large. In other words, let us be a nation and let every one of us be willing to sacrifice any pet theo- ries or expected benefits for our na- tionalism. : The time has come when this na- tion which has now become a world power should put itself in a position to compete with any other world power. There is no room in this ar- ticle for me to more than outline that for which this organization stands. The by-products, if I may so style them, of such an organization are na- tionalism, patriotism and unity. All sections of the country coming to- gether by the representation of their ablest citizenship produce an influence which is bound eventually to unify the people as a whole. And it is re- markable to see how independent of all political differences or the ruling administrations this congress is a unit for everything that tends to better the nation. It stands for everything national and nothing sectional. The head office of the Farrar Trans- portation Co., operating the steam- ships Collingwood and Meaford on the great lakes, has been moved from Collingwood to Toronto. 205 Action of Sea Water on Concrete Tests made by the Aberthaw Con- struction Co., of Boston, beginning in 1909, to study chemical action and frost action on reinforced concrete in sea water, seem to indicate that with proper mix and -proper care, piers and other structures can be made to withstand such disintegrating influ- ences. Twenty-four piers, 16 ft. long by 16 in. square, built by the Aber- thaw Construction Co. in the Charles- town navy yard, have been subjected to tidal rise and fall in that yard for five years. They were placed with 18 in. out of water at high tide and 414 ft. under water at low tide, the mean tide being 10 ft. In general, the richer the specimen in cement, the better does it stand the test. .The one pier of the 'whole 24 which was eaten all the way through, was one of the leanest specimens tested, consisting of one part cement, three of sand and six of stone, cast quite dry. This specimen was eaten entirely through at about 3% ft. above low water. About one foot in the length of the specimen was entirely gone, but the reinforcing bars held the pieces together. The back side was eaten, away on a slant for a dis- tance of nearly 10 ft., but the speci- men was only very slightly affected below the low water line. At the eaten section the material was dead and particles could be picked off the sur- face with the finger nail. As a contrast, a pier mixed from cne part cement, one sand and two of stone, and cast very wet, shows a. splendid condition, even after five years of treatment. This specimen when cast was soft enough so that the concrete would run out of an overturned wheelbarrow, but it would, not flow like syrup. When examined in March, 1910, this pier was apparently in as good con- dition as when placed. At the recent examination the face and back was slightly pitted, but the edges and sides were perfectly, good and the back showed very slight action. The Newport News Ship Building & Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va., has received contract from the Crow- ell & Thurlow Steamship Co. for a freight steamer to cost about $400,000 and to be 375 ft. long. Fred W. Green and Philip S. Jaeger have formed the Green-Jaeger Co., to 'carry on a general marine brokerage business with offices at 1502 Rockefel- ler building.