The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-01-18
ssR. GoODTNG,s LETTER,

The following is the letter of Mr.Wm Good
ing, il regard to the improvement of the Rock
aud Illinois rivers and the Rock Island can
al, read in the internal improvement conven-
ton, at Springfield, on the 18th met:
CANAL OFFICE, LocKPoRT. Jan'y ., 1867.
3. N. STEVENS, Esq:
DEAR SIR. Your letter of yesterday has
this moment reached me, and, although / am
By no means well, and may not make myself
very inteliiglble, hasten to respond at once,
that you may see that feel an undiminished
interest in the subject your of letter.
But first. les me say that my business
an engineer has been to erpeRd money, and
not to provide ths ways and means. | have
h2d but little to Go with fnanciering; and
my suggestions. therefore, in this direction,
will not be worth much. / will venture, how
ever, to make some suggestions. and will ex-
press the opinion very decidedly that it is
not necessary to wait until our state oonsti-
tuition is changed bsfor we can do anything,
IT we will make sc long pull, strong pull,
and pull altogether"
In order to accomplish aa.ythiag, there
must be made com bination of interests and
enough must DO undertaken to command she
necessary influence, but only just enough to
effect our object
be undertaken TO com bine the necessary in
huenee, will be about as follows:
1. The Improvement of the Illinois river
below LaSalle, say..................S 1900 600
2. Deepening the Illinois and Michigan
canal from Chicago to Lockport. enlarg-
ing to 100 feet wide, and walling. G.S0O, geo
3. Your Illinois and Mississippi canal,
with feeder from Dixon. .......... 1900. 900
a. towards Rock river Improvement. say. sou, 600
Total. Sl4 200, 900
Now, to obtain this money, / would sug-
gest the following sources, to-wit:
/. donation from the government of not -'
less than. ....-............-..S .000, coo
.. Amount of bonds to be issued by the
. City of Chicago. Observation-Disclosures. 1000 900
3. Two mill tax for four years, say.... 5,Oa0.00e
Total. .Sl4 ,0O0,00
Ii is obvious enough that additional tara
ton would not be popular, though we might
be able 10 demon strate tn st the wealth of the
state would ultimately be largely increased
by it. But can we not change the form of our
state debt without any violation of our pres
snt constitution, By issuing long bonds. and
taking up those that have matured or will
coon mature? We should then have another
class of creditors, to whom our present oon-
stitutional tax Of two mills on the dollar
would not be pledged, and we could use it 40
above suggested. In this way we could de-
fer the payment of the principal of our debt
until it could be fully paid by the revenues
arising from the Improvements which we pro-
pose to make and which, Immediately upon
their completion. would doubtless add more
than 10000, 900 to,ths taxable property of
the state. g. lesIss - 20
But, IT money arising from taxes cannot
be appropriated as | have suggested, why net
authorize the counties, citiea and towns most
directly benefited to issue their honda and
levy taxes TO psy the interest thereon, until
the revenue arising from the improvements
made shall be sufficient for that objscts Th;s
to be sure would be a less reliable mode Of
raising money. but might be better than
You will sec that / have not suggested
making any of these improvements by com.
panies, as / consider il pe'y desirable that
they should be controlled by the state, so that
transportation should be placed at the lowest
rates practicable, -, orr r,.s. ~ --.st. ,.
know that the most of our people are be-
ginning to despair of getting any assistance
from The general government; but don't be-
g r