The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-09-30
THE ST. PAUL CONVENTION.
THE LENEEs AND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
IMPROVEMENTS.

THE LEyEEs AND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
IMPROVEMENTS.
The Louisville Cgmier-JoR.ual says:
"On October llth there will assemble at
st. Paul, Minnesota, convention Of
representative men OF the Mississippi
valley to consider the subject Of river
improvement. The call issued by the
st. Paul chamber of commerce, shows
tina. Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, WEcOn-
sin and Missouri produce lj0,0OO,O00
bushels OF wheat, which naturally seeks
a cheap water outlet to the world by the
Mississippi river, and that the poverty
OF water in the channel forces the cX-
porters to submit to the cXtortion-
ate demands OF the railroad
men. The entire appropriation tori the
improvement OF the upper Mississippi
below st. Paul does not exceed $4,000,
which is, Of course, entirely insufficient
20 remove the obstacles to navigation.
The people OF the upper Mississippi
Valley have reason 10 complain Of the
situation. Some millions have been ap.
priated to make the insignificant Fox
river in Wisconsin a naVigable stream
for the benefit OF few sharp
individuals, while the main artery OF
commerce has been treated to a driblct
Of $4,000. 1t IL likely that the st.
Paul convention will be largely at
tended, and it ought to be. The con-
gressional representatives Of the states
named have given their attention too
much to the interests OF the railroads,
and the disposition now is 10 bring
pressure 10 bear upon them 10 study
more closely the Interests Of their con.
stituents.
The grievances Of the upper Missls.
sippl valley people. however, do not cX.
coed those OF the people OF the lower val.
ley. A vast amount OF rich agricultur-
al territory; from Cape Girardcau,
NO., to the gulf, on both sides
Of the Mississippi river, is dependent up.
on general and systematic leveeinp 10
enable the occupants to plant and contri.
butte to the wealth OF the entire country.
I According to the reports of Generals
Humphreys and Abbott, the rcctiilcatlon
of the river banks would cost $50, 900, 600,
ms would place the required breast.
work between the planters and the Hoods,
Inc Washington correspondent Of the
New ork Herald says OF Gen. Hum.
phrey's estimate.
ms Is considerable sum of money.
put southern men assert that the govern
hleht would recover it in few years In
. the increased value OF government lands
sun held there, while they say, on thc
other hand, that it would establish on n
urn foundation the prosperity of very
great ana naturally Cryrich rcgion, and
would enormously increase the produn-
ton OF cotton, sugar and rice, and TIM.
add to the general wealth OF the
country. They say that the state:
along the river banks can not dc
the work; that the region la.
ouigrown the old patchwork system
that It is useless to make small appropra
lions to repair crevasscs; that whatever
Is now done should be under the contro
oil eminent government engineers, such
as Gen. Humphreys, and should be don,
by the Federal Government, and on Sci
entilically correct principles. " hen con-
gress meets, southern men will
strongly urge the advlsablity OF such a
great and comprehensive Improvement
and the arguments Tor IL above stated
have already been presented to the presi,
uehl, who is understood to take the
ground that while he is totally and earn.
esuy opposed to such internal improve.
meHt schemes as the usual