The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-11-30
State Ship Canal Conve ntion.

Pursuant to call from the Executive
Committee, a State convention of the
friends OF cheap transportation and the
consi ruction of ship canal connecting
lakes Michigan and Erie was held at the
Court House in Allegan, on Friday,
Nov. 16. The Court House was filed,
and some 200 delegates were in attend
ance from all along the proposed route
of the canaI-from Saugatuck to Battle
Greek. The Committee on Resolutions
made the following report, which was
unanimously adopted:
l. 1t has been clearly demonstrated and made
evident by competent civil engineers in several
preliminary surveys that the construction of a
ship canal across the lower peninsula OF the
State of Michigan via Saugatuck and the Kala-
mazoo river route and thence eastward to some
eligible harbor on Lake Erie is perfectly prac-
ticable and feasible route for canal. 1t has
been well established to be the shortest and
best outlet through our State for this water
way, shortening, as 1t does, the distance be-
tween Chicago and Buffalo 500 miles. Its COM
pletion will lessen insurance, reduce the freight
rates. prolong the season of safe navigation for
two months, and greatly lessen the dangers Of
commerce over the present hazardous route via
the straits Of Macknaw.
g. The extension, facilitation, improvement
and cheapeniDg of water transportation by the
opening of new outlets to Western products is
question the right solution Of which is Of Vi
tai Importance to the producers Of the Missis-
sippi and lake valleys. The surplus produc-
tons of the great middle division of the coy;n-
try have been increased in ratio far exceeding
that of the population of this progressive re-
| gion Of country, and must find market in the
commercial centers Of the seaboard, where the
products of other countries can be purchased
| in exchange. The long distance Of the interi-
or (better known as the Westerly division OF
States from the seaboard will require for the
larger proportion of the exchange in products
the cheapest medium Of transportation, which,
80 far. has been by water routes.
| 8. The producing States of the middle d.
vision Of the Union have greatly suffered In
| their commerce and purse by marine losses,
extortionatc freight charges and by freight
monopolies, and vexatious delays In shipment
| by the roundabout and lengthy Mackinaw
| route. 1t behooves the Western people for
self-protection to favor the shorter canal route
| and thereby save millions OF dollars annually
| lost in marine disasters, not forgetting the
| lives lost. A ship canal Though Michigan Will
give the people of this State and the Northwest
| another cheap and short outlet for the internal
commerce Of the great West, thus afording-
water communication to Montreal on the St.
Lawrence, New York on the Hudson river, New
| Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. Green Bay and
the Upper Mississippi river. Only one link OF
about 178 miles across Michigan is required to
complete the grand chain of improved wa ter
WAYS as pointed out by ex-President Grant in
| his message of '73 for connecting the Missis-
sippi with tide-water on the Atlantic, and es-
tablishes the feasibility OF an almost continu-
GUS landlocked navigation from Maine to the
| Gulf Of Mexico.
4. That the great losses caused to the car
| rvinp trade of the lakes to and from Buffalo
| during the recent disastrous storms on Lakes
| Michigan and Huron are potent arguments to
our national legislators for the construction
| of a ship canal and we respectfully call the at
tention of Congress to these terrible and most
destructive marine disasters which are OF
yearly occurrence in the spring and fall seasons
| 4. In view of these facts and Of the repeated
instructions of the Legislature to our Con
eressionai delegation, this convention calls
upon Congress to appropriate S25O0O Tor an
official survey Of a ship canal from Lake Mich
| iean TO some suitable point on Lake Erie or
Detroit river, to be determined by the United
States engineers.
6. That the delegates to this convention
recommend the appointment OF a committee to
visit Washington this winter to urge upon Con-
! press the early passage of a bill providing Tor
The survey of the Michigan ship canal.
T. That we respectfully solicit the aid OF the
Congressional delegations from the States OF
Illinois Wisconsin, Mime ota. Iowa, Missouri,
| Kansas and Nebraska, In behalf of the con-
| struction of this ship canal, and that pevma-
| nent Executive Committee Of fifteen be app0int-
ed by this convention 10 hold correspondence
with the friends of the canal project through
out the country and to promote It's general in
terest.
An Executive Committee Of fifteen was
then chosen. The appointments of a
committee to visit Washington was left
with the Executive Committee.