Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-09
THE FATHER OF WATERS

and Improvement Of the Mississippi
hiyer-Interesting Review of Facts Con-
corning the National Highway.
Ihe government printer has now in his
hands report of the House committee on
leVees and improvement of the Mississippi
river. Ihe report and the accompanying bill
refer particularly to the lower Mississippi be-
tween st. Louis and the gulf; but, as this por-
ZION OF the river is the grand trunk line, or
concentration of the whole Mississippi river
system of our fourteen thousand miles Of nayi-
cation, the committee wisely prepared a com
prehensive report, giving descriptive and
statistical review Of the whole system Such
review was greatly needed in the interests of
commerce, and intelligent legislation for it is a
subject which is not generally understood or
appreciated. Accompanying the report is an
outline map showing the point on the main
| stream and each one of the thirty-two navi-
gable tributaries which is the head of present
| navigation. 1t also shows by suitable shading
the area of alluvial lands. The report first
| gives historical notes. showing the import
| ance of the river under French and Spanish
| rule, its early prominence under American use
| and commerce, and how it was finally eclipsed
| by the advance OF railways through the valley.
1t next gives descriptive notes." Under this
head is a table showing the miles of navigation
of each one of the thirry-three rivers, in the
order of LENGTH and making total of 1866
| miles.
| Under the third head,
| "a NATIONAL HIGHWAY
| is table showing how many miles of naviga-
ton attach to each one of the eighteen states
and two territories which are intersected or
4 bordered by and consequently have business
interest in this great river system. The COM
parlson of the leading products of those eight
cen states with similar products of the remain
| ing states of the Union is truly aston
ishing, and proves how national is the
river highway. It shows that in 1876 they pro-
duced 81 per cent. of the corn, SO per cent. of
| the wheat, " per cent. of the rye, 20 per cent.
Of the tobacco and - per cent. of the cotton of
the whole United States; also, that they pos
sessed II per cent. in value of the estimated
value of live hogs. 1t shows that in the pres
ent Congress those States and territories have
| Ill of the total 301 representatives of the peo-
pie. 1t also states the law as declared by the
I supreme court of the United States, showing
that the river highway is national in law as
well as in fact, being highway under control
OF the general government, and open to free
and unrestraned use of the people, Under
the fourth head,
''ITs INTERNATIONAL FEATURES
it shows how the various tributaries converge
unite aud finally terminate at the gulf
directly opposite the neighborng
Spanish-American nations of South
America, Mexico, the West Indies
and Brazil, and gives statistics showing
how most of those nations patronize the distant
markets of Europe instead of the great valley
| which produces what they need, and extensively
purchase elsewhere For instance: IS 29-1OO
per cent. Of the annual imports of Brazil are
from Europe, and only 67-100 per cent. from
the United States. During the year ending
June 80, 1873, Mexico, whose chief harbor,
Noro Hr,,r,c L - ~
river system, and consequently near the best
cotton producing States of the world imported
from Europe cotton stuffs to the value of &c.
53l, $40, and from the United States only $369,
438 worth. 1t maintains that the commercial
exchanges between the valley and those great
nations at the South should be as continuous
as are the waters of this inland highway with
the gulf and the ocean.
After treating of the Mississippi as IAN eco
nomical highway the report considers the
water system as
"A NEGLECTED. HIGHWAY,
and to illustrate this view. shows that in 1875
st. Louis, the great central city of the whole
system. sent rs per cent. of her freights by
rail, and only % per cent. by river. 1t also
gives facts and figures showing the damage to
alluvial lands along the lower Mississippi OF
trunk line, as it is called. from neglect to keep
the river highway fenced in by levees or in
sorse other manner SO as to protect adjoining
fields from overflow.
But the most noticeable feature of this re-
port is under the concluding head, the CUES
ton Of Repairs 1t gives a review or brief
showing how in the States Of this country and
OF the civilized world, there is some provision
of law requiring public highways to be kept in
repair, and providing compensation in the ma
ture of damages for failure to do SO. That the
great government of the United States should
observe the general and universal spirit of the
laws IN this respect, and keep in good repair
her river highway, is very apparent after pc
rusing this very instructive portion of the
report.
COMPARISON OF EXPENDITURES.
The report closes with statement of the
amount OF appropriations from the formation
OF the government to 1878, for the improve.
ment Of the Ia, 0S6 miles OF river highways in
this great river system, and gives certain
comparisons and conclusions 1t is SO concise
ly and forcibly stated that we will quote it in
full: THE amount is in round numbers only
Slo,5OO0 600. sum only one-tifth the amount OF
bonds issued with interest added by the
United States in favor of the Pacific railroads
1t is an amount less than one-third the sum
spent by New York State alone on her canals
1t is also less than ne-half the sum appropri.
ated by Congress for the improvement Of rivers
and harbors in other portions of the United
States further comparison shows that the
single State of New York has received from the
general government for the improvement of it's
rivers and harbors the sum of 1884, 603. an
amount considerably over one-third the appro-
priations for the whole Mississippi system in
which IL States and two territories have a bus
mess interest. There is wide
DIFFERENCE IN PRINCIPLE
between the granting of government aid in the
construction of railways owned by private cor
porations, and simply keeping in repair river
highways controlled by the United States, and
which nature built for her without expense. If
precedents show that the general government
has pursued very liberal policy in the first in
stance, it is certainly apparent that the policy
should be liberal in regard to navigable rivers,
the ways which furnish cheap and free trans
portatlon and: therefore, the ways of greatest
Importance to the producers and the people
who pay the taxes. According to the United
States bureau of statistics. the amount of pub
lie lands granted in aid Of the construction of
railways is. up to the present time 1877, 7S5, $50
acres The amount of bonds issued by the
general government to Pacific railways, with in
terest accumulated, was, at the beginning of
last year. S91, 637 1923. The single State Of New
York has, as we have already shown, expended
over $64, O0O 600 in the construction of artificial
water ways.
I THE AVERAGE COST
per mile Of those 1908 miles of canal was s49,-
UOO. Suppose the general government had at
the same cost per mile, constructed the IA ,O86
miles of water highways in the Mississippi
| system. the total cost would be over $500 O00,-
900. This river highway is infinitely superior
to and more serviceabie than any canal which
can be constructed. Its value is just as great
to the people as if built at public expense, and
is as much entitled to repairs. Is it wise for
the general government to neglect its most i'm
portant highway of commerce simply because
nature assumed the cost of the original con-
struction:'
The Washington correspondence of the st.
Louis Republican,, to whom we are indebted for
the facts in the above abstract, says, concerning