Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-25
THE MISSISSIPPI.

/, Meeting of the Chamber of Commerce
Committee Projects for the Improve
! ment of Navigation Chairman Nc
Clung's Suggestions---The Reservoir Sys-
tenn as Elucidated by Col. Crooks.
The committee on Mississippi river inn
provements of the chamber of commerce
held meeting yesterday afternoon. There
were present Messrs. j. w. McClung,
VIM. Rhodes, H. NJ. Rice, James Smith,
Jr, j. B. Sanborn, J, Ham Davidson,
and VIM. Crooks.
Mr., McClung, the chairman, presented
the following paper:
GENTLEMEN: The committee of ten,
on the Mississippi river, which has re-
Gently been constituted by the chamber
of commerce as a standing committee,
has been called together this evening for
the first time, to organize and determine
the policies to be adopted to carry out the
objects to be accomplished.
The objects of the committee are to
devise and carry out measures to secure
the improvement of the Mississippi river
To do this it will be necessary to educate
the public sentiment of the Mississippi
valley up to the point of demanding the
improvement as the one great necessity
of the people of the valley, as a right to
which they are entitled, and as a work
| which our representatives must accom-
| plish, or come home and seek other en-
| ployment.
1t is one of the marvels of the age that
the people of the Northwest have not long
since made this river what it was designed
| to be-the great trunk line of
| transportation, regulating all other
lines, and holding all others in
check, and securing from to 10 cents
per bushel more for every bushel of wheat
we raise and a like reduction in
prices of every article of necessity we
import.
| The past twenty-five years have gone
into history without anything of any i'm
portance having been accomplished, so
far as the upper Mississippiis concerned
Tens of millions of dollars have been
expended by Congress in the mean time
for river and harbor improvements in
the East and for bounties to railroads in
all parts Of the country.
The policy of the government has been
millions for railroads to the Pacific,
nothing for the Mississippi river. The
census shows that power is passing from
the East TO the West And commercial
statistics show that the territory which
was a wilderness twenty-five years ago
is rapidly becoming the granary
of the continent. Wealth and power
are concentrating in the valley of
the Mississippi river. We must assert
our power, combine our influence and de-
mand our rights. If systematic work is
trade and all the cities and towns in the
| va HOY, Of no MicCicC;,,ri 10
New Orleans, the next census will show
"a revolution in the commerce of the
Northwest States no longer the vassals
of railroad kings of the East, and what
more Immediately interests ST. Paul, a
city at the head of navigation acknowl-
edging no rival north of Chicago. To
accomplish these ends it will be the duty
of this committee to take the initiative
as our chamber did, three years ago in
organizing the first movement which Sc
cured any appropriations worth
the name for the improve
ment Of the Upper Mississippi.
What to do is for your own intelligence
and public spirit to suggest Without
attempting to dictate or to anticipate, a
few things must be apparent to all
| You should sub divide the work to be.
done, and refer it to sub committees An
address or circular to all the towns in the
State and in the valley, urging the i'm
| pOrtance of the work and the necessity
of unity of action to influence Congress
and push along our own Representatives
to renewed interest in the subject; an in
vestigation of the comparative freights
| by rail and river, and of what is being
done in the transportation of grain by
| bargeS to New Orleans statistics of ap-
preparations East and West for rivers and
harbors, and the status of present appro-
priations and work on the Mississippi river;
South America, Mexico and the West In
dias as markets for our produce: State
legislation to prevent the obstruction of
the river by sawdust and mill refuse;
| levee extension in the city of ST. Paul:
bOoms and the freedom of the river for
the passage of logs and lumber These
are some of the subjects which should en-
gage our attention. The immediate work
before us now is to influence the present
session of Congress and the Minnesota
legislature to the most liberal action pos
sible for the improvement of the river.
With these few suggestions, the sub
ject is commended to your attention, and
the committee is ready for any business
| which may be brought before it. Re-
spectfully,
j. w. MCCLUNG, Chairman.
A general discussion of matters CON
nected with transportation on the Missis-
sippi river ensued, participated in by all
| the members present.
| Mr. Rice suggestedsthat the only ques-
| tiOns properly before the committee were
the means to he adopted for carrying off
the excess of product over the capacity of
the railroads, and the difference in cost of
, transportation by river and railroad
On. motion of Mr. Rice subcommittee
consisting of Messrs. McClung and
Rhodes was appointed to draft a report
to be submitted to Congress urging atten-
ton to the matter of the improvement of
! the Mississippi.
Col Crooks called attention to the
waste of fuel on the river, and insisted
that the waste added largely to the cost
of transportation by river. He also alluded
to the proposed reservoir system,
and said: This question of the reservoir
system has passed from the solution of
problem to the demonstration of the
rorem, and believe that we can obtain
Natpr hero a IyyayS fOur foot ot any YorioJ