The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-10-25
RIVER IMPROVEMENT CONVENTION.

| HlVE6 l1f6VVE46NI tVN 6N AVN
The River Improvement Convention al
Quincy last week was attended by some 3OC
delegates, representing eleven western states
to wit, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana Iowa, Minneso
ia, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas
Mississippi and Kentucky. As these states
have % senators and 10G representatives in
congress- they ought, as the st. LOUIS Repu0lt
can suggests, to be able through their eelega
tons in congress to secure for this great ma
l,ional highway recognition and support
The convention was opened by speech OF
welcome from Gov Cullom, who, besides many
expressions of cordial greeting to the delegates,
mentioned the important fact that since the
construction Of the jettIes at the mouth Of the
Mississippi, the grain trade of the river had
nearly quadrupled, rising from less than 3,OOO,-
| 600 bushels gram receipts at New Orleans in
| 1915 to over 100000 the last year Senator
Window of Mississippi, on taking his seat as
temporary chairman, made the further remark
that four years ago when he first asked
congress for an appropriation to improve the
river, he was told TO wait until the mouth Of
the river was opened before expanding money
on opening useless channels above; now the
mouth has been improved and speaks for itself,
and the proper time had therefore come for de
manding attention to the rivers channel and
general course.
After these prelmnarcs, the convention
was permanently organized by the appoint
ment of cx-Gov f. O. Stannard, Of st. Louis,
as president, one vIce-presidcnt from each
state represented, four secretaries and commit.
tees on business, resolutions, &c. The balance
OF the first days proceedings consisted of a
very able lecture on the commerce of the Mis-
sissippi Valley and the importance of its great
river as its chief artery of transportation, by
Hon John Hogan, of st. LOUIS, followed by
an enthusiastic speech IN the same vein from
c, X. Marshall, Esq, Of Vicksburg
The main incidents of the next and last
days proceedings were an able exposition,
by Prof Wright, illustrated with maps, of the
great river system of the northwest and south
west; an exposition, by Plat B. Walker, Esq,
of what he called the reservoir system-a sys-
TEN by which, through damming the numcr.
Gus lakes Of Minnesota, supply of water
could be held III reserve to rcplenish the flow
of the Mississippi river at any time during the
droughts of summer and fall and lastly, the
consideration of the report of the committee
on resolutions. The committee had been una
bic to agree, and presented majority and mi
uorlty report The majority report recited at
length the needs of the Mississippi valley, the
necessity for the improvement of the Missis-
slppi river and tributaries, and generally the
apparent failure of congress to properly con-
slider this great national highway, 1t present
I'd no plan to be adopted, but left this to Ike
government engineers; but favored the rcser-
yolr system; wanted the filling of streams by
,awdast and cinders prohibited, and finally |
called for the appointment of an executive
of nine from the convention, in
Guiding the chairman, to publish statistics and
call another convention Unnecessary, as well as
to present the subject properly before congress.
The minority report objected mainly to that
Of the majority IN that it favored too general a
system Of river improvement IN the west and
south, amounting to the vicious logrolllng"
system too much in vogue, and conended only
for the Improvement of the main arteries-the
Ohio. Mississippi and Missouri rivers not al
lowing the smaller streams to hamper this de
mand. After protracted discussion the mo-
ton to substitute the minority for the majority
report was lost by vote of so against ., each
state casting five votes; and thereupon the res
olutons of the majority report were taken up
and adopted seridtim.
The usual resolutions of thanks to the Citi- |
zens of Quincy were adopted and motion to !
take up collection to pay for printing the
was squelched by the Quincy
members, who said they had already made
provision to bear that expense themselves.