The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-02
MEMORIAL.
Hennepin Canal project and
its Executive Committee.
What they have done to fur
nish information.

The following is the memorial to be
submitted to congress in aid of the Henne-
pin canal project, as prepared by the
executive committee:
To the Honorable the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States in
congress assembled: The undersigned, a
commission appointed for the purpose, by
a convention held in the city of Davenport,
Iowa, in May. 1881. and represented con-
stituencies specially interested in the ques-
ton of improving the facilities for aud
cheapenlng the cost of transportation, beg
leave to respectfully memorabilia your
honorable bodies in behalf of q suitable
appropriation. at the present session of
congress, for the construction of line Of
canal, by route already surveyed under
the authority of congress, beginning at a
point on the Mississippi river, at or near
Rock Island, in the state of Illinois, and
extending eastward5fo distance of less
than seventy miles to- and connecting with
the improved Illinois river, at or near
Hennepin, thus completing an uninter-
rupted water way from the city of ST. Paul.
Minnesota, Wis the present Illinois and
Michigan Canal to Lake Michigan; at the
city of Chicago, and thence by existing
water routes to the seaboard; said canal to
be of capacity equal to that readily obtain
able in the Mississippi river, above the
point of tie proposed intersection, to the
Falls of st. Anthony
And further, to petition that congress
will inaugur&te and cause to be passed 10
an early compsetion, such a comprehensive
system of improvement in the navigation
of the Mississippi river and its principal
tributaries as will render these natural ar
of of
porting the rapidly increasing products of
agriculture in the interior of our country
at the minimum of cost.
In support of this memorial, and on be-
half of said convention, together with the
very large portion of the sproducers and
consumers of the agricultural products Of
the United States, who are directly inter
ested, the undersigned would respectfully
submit the following as bearing upon the
necessity for, and the natural character OF,
the improvements which we are directed
to urge upon the attention of your honora
BILE bodies.
WE BELIEVE
we hazard nothing in the assertion that the
experience of the last few years has de
monstrated that in substantial proportion
to the lessening expenses of transporting
the products of agriculture to points Of
| in prosperity The effects of a profitable
cultivation of the soil have been to set in
motion all the wheels of manufacture,
commerce and trade throughout the land
| bringing employment, comfort and happi-
ness to the laborer and to the artisan, and
at the same time calling to their aid the
capital and enterprise of the more wealthy
all contributing to the elevation of our
| financial affairs from a condition Of
semi-vassalage to foreign nations, to
one of financial independence hither
| to almost unknown in our history.
! The statistics of the exports of the country
clearly indicate that this position has been
attained through the agency of our agricul
tural productions, and very largely by those
grown in territory contiguous to the water
lines sought to be improved by your mem
orialists and the convention we have the
honor to represent. 1t is, however, true
that the conditions Of our ability to sue
cessfully compete for supplying food to
| foreign countries for the past few years
have been peculiarly favorable, owing to
diminished crops in Europe and exceedingly
abundant ones in our own country, and it
! is apparent to careful observers that If we
would, under more favorable returns of the
! European crops, retain our present posi-
| ton in respect to the volume of cereal ex-
ports, we can only do so by the aid of
every appliance tending TO lessen the cost
of placing our products at points accessi-
5le to consumers, chief among the items of
cost being such as relate to transportation
from the centres of production to the sea-
/ board.
The late census returns show that of a
production of 2,214 100000 bushels of
wheat and corn in the United States in the
bear 1879. 1886, 000, 900 bushels or over
55 per cent, was grown in the states of
! Illinois, Wisconsin Minnesota, Iowa, Mis-
souri,. Kansas, Nebraska; and the Terri
tory of Dakota, these States producing
the major part of all the grain grown
east of the Rocky Mountains which is con-
sumed at home. probably but three other
States on the Atlantic slope-Ohio, In
diana and Michigan-produces these &C.
reals In excess of their own consumption.
To the great reductions in freight charges
OBTAINED within the past few years. from
western lake ports to the seaboard, which
have been brought about by the influence
of steadily cheapenlng water transporta-
| ton may be attributed the fact that ives
tern farmers have been enabled to profit
ably meet the foreign demand for their
products. These reductions have not
| however, in any considerable degree ex-
tended to transportation charges within
the States lying west of the great lakes.
wherein 20 adequate water routes have
existed to control the rates exaeted by the
railway lines; hence we have observed
that during the past season the cost of
moving given quantity of grain from
points, say $50 miles inland, to the lakes
by rail has ruled higher than from
the lake ports to the seaboard
more than six times the distance
The governor of Iowa estimates that,
had the canal line herein referred to been
in operation in 1880. the saving to the pro-
ducers of the wheat and corn growth in
that state in single year would have been
not less than 81 100000 on the quantity
actually shipped by them out of the state,
| to say nothing of the enhanced value of
other marketed products of the state, and
on that portion consumed at home. Ap.
proximately similar results would have
been realized by the people of other states
bordering on the west of the Mississippi
river, by the construction of this line of
canal and the Improvement of the upper
Mississippi to corresponding capacity of
navigation, all of which can be accomplish
ed at so moderate cost that your memor.
ialists feel confident that the propriety of
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