Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-09-07
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE..

DO0IoA4
Conventions Present Condi ION and Pro-
gress Of River Improvsments-The Saw
dust Bill s anding Committee ON Missis-
sippi River Navigation, Etc.
At the meeting of the chamber Of COM
merce yesterday morning leave Of absence
was granted to Mr.. Banning.
THE TERRA GOTTA WORKS.
The committee on manufacturing with
regard to the terra Gotta works on Eagle
street, reported BY Capt. Barney the amount
Of additional capital needed and the manner
IN which 1t is to be employed, with pro-
posal to supply the capital in the form of q
loan. The matter was referred to the COM
mittee to carry out the recommendation, and
at meeting Of the committee and persons
interested. Immediately after the chamber
adjourned, the loan was pledges by several
business men.
The mercantile committee reported as
follows upon
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
ST.. PAUL, Sept G., 1880.
Your committee would respectfully report
that, besides the sum of $3.50 appropriated
at last session of Congress 10 test the reservoir
~ stem (by which it is hoped the unin errupted
navigation of the Mississippi, above Dubuque,
and other rivers, during the summer months
may be securely, there was also appropriated
$l6OOOO for carrying ont already prepared and
adopted plans for dredging. building wing
dams. etc., ETC.. between st. Paul and the
mouth of the Illinois river, and $25, 900 for
operating the dredge and Anag boat, Gen.
Barnard.
The reservoir system proposes the construc-
tion of forty-two dams to retain and
ETC., near the head waters of the
Mississippi, Wisconsin. st. Croix and Chippe-
wa rivers, restraining floods during the high
water season and furnishing from these reser-
VOLTS during the season of low water such sup
plies az will maintain fair boating stage of
water. The appropriation of $75,009 will be
expended in erection of dam at Lake
Winnibigoshish near the hesdwaters of the
Mississippi.
The report of Capt. Alex. Mackenzie, (engi-
ueer in charge Of the river imprevem eats from
St. Paul to mouth of Illinois river) for the
year ending June 80, 1880, has not yet been
published, bnt. from q brief summary pub
lished in the st. Louis Republican of Aug. 10,
1850, we lind that during the year past work
has been prosecuted at Hastings. Dibble's Point,
Smiths Bar, Gratis Island, Beef Slough.
Mount Vernon, Rollingstone and Betsey
Sloughs, Winona, La Crosse, Oassville, and
other points, at an expenditure of $118, 40. "a
including $40 900 allotted for trial of the Adams
fume-and that the amount available for
further operations on July lat, 1850, was
$l73. GOO. 05.
During the present year the work of improve
ment will be carried on at Newport, Wabashaw,
head of Lake Pepin, Island No. 90, Mount
Vernon and ten (10) other points below. Capt.
Mackenzie we'll says: 1.-The radical improve
ment of the Mississippi having been begun, it
is of great Importance that it should be active
~ continued. Large appropriations can be
proftably expended and should be made in or
der that the benefits to be obtained NAV be &C.
cured rs speedily az possible, and thst the nl-
innate cost may be diminished" and he asks
las Col. F. o. Farquahar did for 1860-'81) an
appropriation of $500. 600 for the year 1884, 49,.
Capt. Mackenzie states that the Constructions
of 1873 have in every case proved successful in
giving good channel where they had been ad-
vanced to anything like complete state"
Contracts for the work proposed during the
present year are now being made and the work
will be pressed forward SO far as available
funds will allow.
In answer to an inquiry from our committee
as to when gooo navigable condition of the
river could be expected, Capt. Mackenzie re-
plies: The time when good navigable con.
dition of the river may be expected depends on
the amount of the annual appropriations. Ali
parts of the river are now liable to become bad
ana permanently good low water channel
cannot be assured until the whole river is put
under control"
fully sug est and recommend that
regular and Systematic efforts be made, by pc
tition, through our Congressional delegation,
and in every other legitimate way, to secure in
creased appropriations for the improvement of
navigation in the Mississippi river, especially
between st. Paul and the mouth of the Illinois
river.
Regarding the matter of sawdust and mill
refuse: The bill prepared by this cham Der and
presented by Hon. M. Dunnell to the House Of
Representatives was, as you know, referred to
the committee on commerce. and never report
ed back from that committee. In the Senate q
similar bill, presented by Senator Mcmillan,
was referred to the Senate committee on COM
MERGE, and by that committee reported upon ia
vOrably, with, however, an amendment making
its operation general instead of combining it to
the Mississippi river. Your committee re-
spectfully recommends that the chamber take
such action az may. in their Judgment, secure
prompt and satisfactory Congressional action
in this very important matter.
DANIEL 3. MOVES, Chairman.
O. GOTHAM,
JOHN MATHEIs
O. D. STRONG.
Mr.. Murray wished to have the secretary
state why the chambers bill had been sent
to Mr.. Dunnell instead of to Mr.. Wsshburn,
the Representative IN Congress from this
district, which would have been il the usual
course in such matters. Secretary Rogers
stated that he sent the two bills, as directed.
one to Senator Mcmillan and one to Mr..
Washburn. How the bill came under Mr..
Dunnell's charge he did not know. The
transfer must have been made at Wash
ington.
The committees report, as above, was ao-
cepted and adopted.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMITTEE.
Mr.. McClung called up his motion to
amend the by laws SO as to provide for a
standing committee Of ten members on the
Mississippi river, to be named by the presi-
dent Of the chamber, and supported his mo-
ton by an argument Of some length upon
the importance Of river navigation to the in
terests of st. Paul and npon the need of
continuous watchfulness and labor towards
pressing forward the improvements of the
river. The amendment was adopted and
the committed IL to be announced at future
meeting.
Gen. johnson moved that the executive
committee be requested to report upon the
expediency Of putting the articles Of incor-
poration and bylaws in pamphlet form and
to report revision Of the bylaws if the
committee consider that they need revision,
which motion was adopted, and the chamber