Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-12-20
Accom- panying this report will b,

r T-H y
count Of receipts and disbursements
No. 2, the account current of the Treas
urer, and No. 3, the statement of the
Secretary exhibiting the amount of lands
sold, &c.,-also tabular statement by
the President, showing the State indebt.
edness, numbered, A.
The present system of prosecuting the
work. il will be apparent, we think 20 all,
is not the most judicious to accomplish
the great object in view, to-wi,: the spec
dy completion of the improvement, at
the least possible cost to the State. At
present it can proceed no faster than the
irregular and unc eriain receipts from the
sale of lands will pay the estimates, ana
other expenses. The irregularity OF
these receipts will be made apparent by
reference to the tabular statement Of the
monthly sales during the past fourteen
months. The six months instanced,
from April to September, inclusive, en-
bracing the season of the year, when
such work can only be successfully pros
ecuicd, and when the largest amount OF
money is required, are smallest. In
deed at any season of the year they are
entirely inadequate to prosecute even
the presen; work under way, and render
out of the question, the possibility oil
putting more of the improvement in pro-
gress. The incidental expenses, inclu-
ding salaries Of Board, Engineers, &c. as
established, is entirely disproportionate
to the limited amount of work which
can be done. About the same amount
of incidental expenses, that are at pres
ent required, would superintend the ju-
dicious expenditure of from two to four
hundred thousand dollars on the work,
per annum.
The 9th section OF the act creating the
Board of Public Works, provides tha,
they shall recommend ssuch Legislative
action as they shall deem expedient -
This we are aware, imposes a delicate
and responsible duty. The views enter.
tanned, in the different localities along the
river to be improved are as conflicting
and incongruous as are the many inter.
ests which are sought TO be promoted.
4 The hypothecation of the lands or the
4 proceeds of their sale, for loan of mo.
ney has been suggested, and will doubt.
lessly be sirenuously urged. A loan o.
one dollar per acre on the entire grant
would fall $2l3,s52 short of completing
the whole work to Fort Des Moines, a
the present estimated cost. With tina
, amount of available cash means to bt
drawn as required in the progress of the
work, wo,ld in our opinion, justify the
:. commencement and vigorous prosecu
J ton of the entire improvement TO com
pletion. Within one year a portion o.
it would begin 10 yield revenue for wa
ter rents and tolls. The least estimate
} of water power, at The respective dams
and the two locks in the canal, would af
!, ford sufficiency of power, if properly
} applied. to propel twenty run of burrs a
each. There will be when completed
twenty-eight dams, with two addition.
al locks in the canal, making powe,
sufficient to propel six hundred run o
burrs. which, were it all brought into req
nisition at the moderate price of ont
hundred dollars pc: annum for each
|
source alone. of 100000. But suppose
that for the next ten years, water power
could not be leased at each lock for more
than one thousand dollars, we would
then have the sum of $4,000 annual
revenue from this source. A loan of six
ty cents per acre on the lands, woult
give S62l ,629, which would exceed the
estimated cost Of the work up to Oltum-
wa $3l ,969. This amount would com
plete the improvement up TO that point
andmake ninety miles of slackwater and
canal navigation, and the water powe,
would yield revenue in proportion as
above.
| TO this mode OF obtaining the availa.
bic means requisite, there might be found
to exist some difficulty. In the frs
place, that salutary provision in our Con-
sti,ution, which limits the amount Of fun
ded debt, precludes the idea of the issue
ofState bonds, pledging the grant of land
as mere collateral.
i Should this plan be adopted, it will be
necessary for the General Assembly to
authorize the Board to negotiate loan
and if thought necessary to direct that q
portion of the lands be withheld from,
sale.
i The States Of Indiana and Illinois
with Improvements somewhat similarly
situated to our own, have gwen them uI
to companies of capitalists, who have
taken the works in their unfinished con-
dinon and agreed to complete them with
in given time, on condition of owning
and controlling them, with limit upon
the amount of tolls to be assessed
These arrangements have been coupled
with the condition that the State may
within given time redeem said improve.
ments by the payment of the monies
expended by the company with interest
II Itappears TO us that similar disposi.
tion of that portion Of our improvement
, under. course of construction, and inclu.
ding the Works at Keosauqua, might be
advantageously made at this time, SO as
to secure the speedy and certain com
pletion Of that very important portion o
!, the work.
II When the difficulties shall have haer