VALUE OF WATERWAYS Economic considerations will play a part in decisions that may be taken for the improvement of existing waterways or the con struction of new ones. The question will inevitably arise whether a railway would not prove more serviceable than a waterway. The preference will clearly go to whichever mode of transport is cheaper. In comparing the advantages of waterways and rail ways, we must distinguish between rivers and canals ; and we must further discriminate between canals built across flat ,country and those constructed across land where there are marked differences in level.
Rivers not naturally navigable may generally be rendered navi gable by regulation works, such as spur dikes or longitudinal dikes, or by canalization works such as the construction of dams across the bed of the river and locks to enable boats to pass. The forming of large reservoirs in the upper courses of waterways belonging to the basin of a large river may also constitute an excellent means of improving navigability by regulating the flow of water. In this way a greater minimum depth is obtained and the period of navigability during the year is lengthened.
In most cases the cost of building a railway having the same carrying capacity as a river is appreciably higher than the cost of making the river sufficiently navigable. Moreover, the cost of river-craft having a given loading capacity is less than that of railway rolling stock having the same capacity. Further, the haulage power of a locomotive is only a small fraction of that of a tug. This argument remains true even if a proper use of a waterway involves the execution of improvement works. More over, the economic development of the area served by the river leads to a considerable increase in passenger and parcels traffic, for which the railway is necessarily more suitable than the water way, so that we always find railway lines alongside the river, connecting up the various important centres situated thereon. The argument that a river can compete with a railway holds good even if the traffic does not, strictly speaking, consist of heavy goods, such as ores or coal. The Danube is a case in point; before the World War the volume of traffic on that river amounted to nearly 7,000,00o tons.
The case is different, however, if it is an artificial navigable waterway, i.e., a canal, which has to be built. As a rule such a work is not justified from the economic point of view unless the prospective traffic in heavy goods (ores, coal, building material, cereals and certain other agricultural products) is to amount to several million tons per annum. In order to determine the cost price of transport by canal we have to allow for possible profits and advantages derived from the exploitation of hydraulic power, and accordingly we have to make a distinction between a canal crossing flat country and a canal built in mountainous districts. Many projects for artificial waterways have been rendered feasible by the utilization of water power. Wherever the configuration of the ground has permitted, recent schemes have combined the con struction of a navigable waterway with the exploitation of hydro electric power. The question therefore whether, in any given case, it is preferable from the economic point of view to construct a canal rather than a railway cannot be answered so readily as when the alternatives are a railway and a river ; the answer depends upon a very large number of factors.
The objection has sometimes been raised that two different ideas have been confused, namely, the territorial idea and the idea of international traffic. It is clear that if it is in the interest of international traffic that there should be no flag discrimination, this principle applies wherever international navigation is carried on, independent of whether the navigable waterway crosses or separates several States or not.
On the other hand it is only natural that, as regards inter national rivers, there was a desire to impose certain strict obliga tions on riparian States in connection with the hydraulic works to be carried out ; these obligations, however, should rather be regarded as reciprocal obligations between riparian States. It would seem not impossible by drawing a clear distinction between the territorial idea and the idea of international traffic to lay down, for all navigable waterways on which international traffic can be carried on, contractual provisioi.s similar to those which have been drawn up for maritime ports.
In the application of the Barcelona Statute, the following are declared to be navigable waterways of international concern: I. All parts which are naturally navigable to and from the sea of a waterway which in its course, naturally navigable to and from the sea, separates or traverses different States, and also any part of any other waterway naturally navigable to and from the sea, which connects with the sea a waterway naturally navigable which separates or traverses different States.
It is understood that: (a) Trans-shipment from one vessel to another is not excluded by the words "navigable to and from the sea"; (b) Any natural waterway or part of a natural waterway is termed "naturally navigable" if now used for ordinary commercial navigation, or capable by reason of its natural conditions of being so used; by "ordinary commercial navigation" is to be understood navigation which, in view of the economic condition of the riparian countries, is commercial and normally practicable; (c) Tributaries are to be considered as separate waterways; (d) Lateral canals constructed in order to remedy the defects of a waterway of international concern, including its tributaries of j international concern, are deemed to be "riparian States." 2. Waterways, or parts of waterways, whether natural or artificial, expressly declared to be placed under the regime of the General Con vention regarding navigable waterways of international concern either in unilateral acts or the States under whose sovereignty or authority these waterways or parts of waterways are situated, or in agreements made with the consent, in particular, of such States.