Omaha daily bee., 1881-09-01
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION
The Supreme Question of the
Hour.
Call for the Mississippi River Inn
provement Convention.

SctOOer, 1901, 10 deliberate on the
question of improving the great Mis-.
sissippi river and its navigable tribu
taries. The call is made in pursuance
of a general desire, communicated
through the press, emanating from
various commercial bodies recognizing
the Importance of united and intelli
2 mt action on a subject of the mos
vital Importance, and fixing upon st,
Louis, the central city of the valley.
as the proper place for holding the
convention.
The rapid growth and settlement
of the Mississippi valley and with il
the development and enlargement OF
the export trade, a trade made up in
largely controlling proportions of its
products, has forced upon the thought
of the country the question of cheal
transportation. All the later CONNER
cial and trade experiences have dem.
onstrated that only by the cheap water
route can this question be so placed,
as IN its resultant influences to repre-
sent and embrace fair profit to the
farmer, the manufacturer and mer.
chant, the classes through which all
Others become participant in the prof
its of industry.
The necessity of improving these
navigable streams, and the correla-
tive duty of the general government
to give its aid as to a great national
work is derived from a consideration
of their functions in the commerce
and trade of the country. Within the
area of states and territories drained
by the Mississippi and it's navigable
tributaries is produced nine per cent.
of the corn, 70 per cent of the whsat,
,S3 per cent. of the oats, "a per cent
of the tobacco, n per cent. of the
cotton and 66 per cent of the value of
the live hogs of the whole country.
In addition to the vast supply of food
and textile products the abundance OF
coal, iron and timber mark it as the
seat of manufacturing industries, the
the great and unquestioned source OF
American production and national
revenue.
Even in the present imperfect con-
dition of navigation, n seventh of
the amount of this vast production
which enters into the export trade of
the country, goes to the ocean by way
of the Mississippi river at a cost of
less than one-third at which it can be
carried by any other route.
When it is remembered that this
region has, in the later years, fur.
nished to the markets of the world,
the products which have changed the
Balances of trade in our favor, and
made us among kindred commercial
races the creditor instead OF the debt
or nation, the necessity for united and
intelligent work on the part of its
people and of liberal and comprehen-
slve action on the part of the national
legislature in the improvement of these
waterways becomes too apparent for
argument.
With channels made egnal to the
demands of trade from the highest
point of navigation in these great ma
tional arteries to the gulf, maintained
throughout the year in successful
competition with the trunk lines OF
railroad, the question of cheap trans.
%portation, the supreme question OF
the hour, the foundation to all future
prosperity, is settled and the country
will enter upon a @ career of pro-
gress.
We may regard with some salts.
faction what has been accomplished in
reducing the cost of transportation,
yet what has been witnessed is but a
1.-THE of what may be anticipated in
the future, when the river system uu-
under wise method and liberal appro.
priations is placed as it's matchless
value deserves, as its power of devel.
opment demands.
With even more satisfaction may we
regard the advanced thought which
now requires that the improvement OF
the great river shall stand as a nation
al work on its own merits and uncon-
nected with any other subject or OBJ.
ject of appropriation.
In view of the magnitude of the
interests involved and the results to be
attained, we cordially and earnestly
invite the various boards of trade OF
the valley so largely interested in
these results, as we'll as those from
communities outside the valley, who
appreciate the scope of the conven.
ton, to send delegates fully penetrat,
ed with the necessity of action, and
with ability to represent the great in,
terests at stake.
The convention will be composed Of
delegates from the states and terrific
ries in the Mississippi valley, govern.
ors being hereby authorized and re-
quested to appoint ten from eacl
state and five from each territory.
From each board of trade or cotton
exchange two delegates for each LOO
members, said bodies to be entitled tc
at least two delegates.
From corporate cities of the Missis
sippi valley, where no boards or ex'
changes exist, two delegates from each
to be appointed by the mayor of said
city.
The president and vice-president Of
the United States, members of tn,
cabinet, senators and representative
in congress and governors of state.
and territories will be invited a.
guests of the convention and assigned
seats on the floor during its delibera
tions.
%(Signed) MICHAEL McENNIs,
President.
John jackson, L o. Stanard
John A. Scudder, H. G. Haarstick,
Frank Gaiennie, NJ. Y. Gould,
Henry Hitchcock, Jenn P. Davis,
Henry Lourey, Nathan Cole,
@, f. Orthwein, r. j. Lakeland,
Charles Parsons, +. @. Simmons,
A. III. Sinun.
FRANK CANINE, Sec.
GEORGE l. WRIGHT, Gen. Sec.