Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-03
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
IN IMPORTANT LETTER TO THE NEW
ORLEANS CONTENTION.
st. Paul Asks for the Improvement of the
River and Wants No Side Issues---The
Connecting Link With Manitoba

Connecting Link With Manitoba.
At the meeting of the chamber Of commerce
yesterday morning the President, Gen. Sibley,
announced that in accordance with the request
of the chamber, he had prepared letter to the
New Orleans convention, which he read as fol-
lows:
Hon. John B. LATTE, chairman committee on
invitations, &C., &C., New Orleans, La.
SIR: l have the honor to inform you that
the chamber of commerce of the city of st.
Paul, at its meeting on the Oath inst, provided
for the appointment of five delegates to the
commercial convention to be held in New Or
leans on the Sd proximo, and further instruct
ed me, its presiding officer, to communicate
respectfully to the convention the views enter
tanned by that body in relation to the improve
ment of the Mississippi river, in which the
entire West, and especially the State of Mime
sofa, particularly interested. In accord
once with this action. beg leave to submit to
the convention the following brief statement:
During the summer of 1877, convention
was held in this city, upon the invitation of
the cham GER Of commerce, at which New Or
leans, s.. Louis and other important points on
the Mississippi river were fully and ably repre-
sented. Most prominent among the subjects
discussed, and urgently pressed upon the at
tentlon of Congress, was the deepening and
widening of the Mississippi from the head of
navigation at st. Paul to the Gulf of Mexico
and "a committee was appointed of distin-
gulshed gentlemen to proceed to Washington
city and remain during the session of Congress-
with hope that their labors and influence
would secure appropriations commensurate
with the Importance of the object sought to be
attained. The committee applied themselves
vigorously to the task assigned them, and to
their well directed efforts are to be ascribed
such measures as were finally passed for the
improvement of the river navigation.
1t is quite evident, however, that neither
Congress nor the representatives of the Vest
ern States in that body, with very few ex-
ceptions, have any adequa-e conception of the
magnitude of the evils inflicted upon the COM
lnercial and agricultural interests of the people
lnhabitlng the Mississippi valley by neglect
to appropriate sum sufficient to render the
main stream nayigable to large steamers during
all of the summer months. few thousands
have been grudgingly bestowed when
lighteneu public policy would have dictated
the expenditure of as many millions in opening
to commerce the immense resources of the
granary of the world. Large and populous
States await anxiously the breaking by the
national legislature of the letters which have
many years paralyzed trade and made COM
paratively proftless the labors of the farmers
and planters.
Railroads have, as we know, been indispensi-
BILE to the settlement of the States and
unlimited, and the day is not far distant when
they will be inadequate to the transportation
of wheat and other staples destined to Eastern
or foreign markets. The main reliance must,
necessarily, be on the water line of the Missis-
sippi and its tributaries, and the great lakes.
1t is only necessary to present an exhibit of the
crop OF 1877, from official sources, in the sim
gle State of Minnesota, to substantiate that
fact.
Or wheat there was harvested 100000
bushels.
OF oats there was harvested 16. 900 bush
els.
Of corn there was harvested 1887 900 BUSH
Of barley there was harvested 1926, 600 bush
els.
And let it be noted in this connection that
not one-tenth of the arabic and fertile soil of
the State is under cultivation. Less than
5000. 600 of the more than 100000 acres of
equally good land in Minnesota produced not
only the crop of grain mentioned, but hun
dreds of thousands of bushels of potatoes rye,
buckwheat and other articles for the food of
man or beast. Imagination hardly con-
celve Of the results of the cultivation of the
many millions Of acres yet to be subdued in
this State, superadded to the products of the
vast grain fields of Dakota on the west and the
British possessions on the north, all of which
must seek an outlet by the Mississippi and
Lake Superior.
The facts set forth in this paper alike
applicable to all the great States bordering
extra freights paid in siugle year,
owing to the impediments to navigation, would
more than suffice for their permanent removal,
and furnish uninterrupted transit from this
city to st. Louis. in the driest season, for
steamers drawing four and half, or even five
feet. All the Mississippi States are equally in
terested with Minnesota in securing appropria-
tions by Congress to accomplish this object.
Once achieved, there would be constant and
cheap interchange of commodities between the
sections, to the great advantage of both. Trade
would be vastly increased, and ST. Louis, New
Orleans and intermediate points would be num-
bered among the great grain marts of the
country. The means and appliances
of modern engineering are complete
for the removal eff sandbars, the construction
of wing dams to prevent their formation, and
in exceptionally dry seasons to draw upon the
numerous lakes in the northern part of our
State, which constitute an exhaustless reser-
voir for the supply of the diminished stream.
When ocean ships of 800 or 1000 tons bur-
dens are enabled to receive their cargoes of
brcadstuffs and other products at Duluth on
Lake Superior and at St. LOUIS on the Missis-
sippi, and clear for foreign ports without de-
tention, the industries of the West will have
been released from the numerousus exactions
to which they are now subjected in reaching an
Eastern market, and which are alike discour-
aging and oppressive.
The st. Paul chamber of commerce assumes,
in advance, that while other topics specified in
the call will receive due consideration by the
convention, the subject presented in this COM
munlcation will be recognized as the leading
and paramount object for which it has been in
vited to convene, and that the convention will
not hesitate to emphasize, by an unanimous
vote, declaration that all other projects should
be subordinated by Congress to the plan for
the speedy and permanent improvement of the
Mississippi river.
have the honor to request that this paper be
submitted to the convention. Very respectful
ly your obedient servant,
(Siened) henry H. SHELLEY,
President st. Paul Chamber of Commerce
The letter was endorsed by hearty applause
at the conclusion of the reading.
ST. PAUL AND WINNIPEG.
Attention being called to the fact that the
line of railroad uniting st. Paul and Winnipeg
was about completed, Mr.. G. D. Strong moved
that the president be instructed to send con-
gratnlatory message to the authorities there,
and that committee of five, with the presi-
dent as chairman, be appointed to arrange for
participating in the opening of the line, and
also to make proper Acknowledgements to the
men who had given this important line of
road
This led toquite a tariff discussion Mr.. Lee
stating that our laws imposed such duties Oh
imports that our Manitoba neighbors could
buy in England and bring goods through in
bond, cheaper than We could sell them.
Mr.. Strong said there were many articles we
could sell in competition, in spite of tariff
laws. He said that the Dominion imposed a
tariff even on goods from England.
Mr.. Strong's motion prevailed, and Mesrrs
81. 81. Sibley, G. D. Strong, B. Beaupre, VIM.
Lee and u. h. Noyes, Jr., were appointed.