The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-11-05
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THE GREAT WESTERN WATERWAYS.
Rssolutioss 81 the Late River Improvement
sh Mt Convention At 81. LOuls.

Rssolutioss 81 the late River Iasprovemsn
sh Mt Convention At St. LOuls. a
Following are the resolutions adopted b,
the River Improvement Convention at 81
Louis last week, attended by 500 delegates
from all the states of the Mississippi Valley
The representatives OF the commercial In
terest, and agricultural and other productive
industries of the Mississippi valley, In conven
ton assembled, believing that the Mississippi
river and the nav,gable tributaries of the grea
inland waterway prepared by the Creator FOL
the use OF the people, are the most important
and valuable part of the national domain, fret
to all, beyond the reach of monopoly and af
fording to the whole people that competition
IN transportation which benefits the producer
and consumer alike; and further, that CHEAP
transportation is the great necessity Of an ag
rlcultural people, the Indispensable condition
of easy conveyance to distant markets Of their
staple products, bulky in proportion to their
value, and that the familiar economical truth
that the cheapest transportation of such pro
ducts is by water, is especially applicable to
the great waterways of this country, provided
the same be kept free from snags, sand bars
treacherous banks and other obstacles to navi
CATION, do therefore resolve and declare:
First, That 1t is the manifest and lmpera.
tive duty Of the government of the United
States to cause to be made such improvement
of the Mississippi, and its tributaries as shall
permanently secure the safe and easy naviga
tion thereof, thereby cheapeniDg freight, re-
ducing insurance, and other Burdens and ex.
penses, promoting the vast inland commerce
of the nation, and creating new avenues OF for.
elgn trade, and thus not only inviting IN.
creased production and population, but assur-
ing the greater prosperity to the whole people.
Especially is this duty obvious, and our de-
mand justified in view OF the donations already
made by congress III land amounting to near.
ly 200,00O,00O acres, and in bonds issued or
guaranteed to the amount Of nearly 800 600, :
600 more in aid of artificial highways, the
property of private individuals, and necessar-
ly furnishing even at the lowest rate the most
costly form of Transportation on large scale,
as compared with an appropriation not yet
to S25, 100000 in full for the i'm,
of, $4,000 miles of natural water
ways, whose freedom from tax imposed as
is protected by constitution guaran
tees, while the cheap service and unrestricted
they offer is the most etfectua
corrective of exhorbitant charges by any route
to'the sesboard !; that appropri ations for such
should be separately made with
due provision for assuring the people OF the
faithful application of the same, and SHOULD
Ne adequate to the continued prosecution 'ot
the work, once begun, until the same Is fin,
ished, so as to avoid tile wasteful destruction
of work partially completed by reason of the
delay or stoppage thereof Tor the want OF sui
ficlent appropriation.
-s and Be 1t F'tartl.er ResolCed, That this con-
yention recognize with extreme, satisfaction
and emphatic approval the passage Of the act
of congress Of June %, 1870, for the appoint
ment Of the Mississippi river commission; land
In the comprehensive and extensive surveys
and important Recommendations made by the
distinguished ems ineers appointed on thatcom
mission as set forth in their reports OF Febru
airy 14h, 1880, and January 18th, 1881, the first
well considered and eifectual step towards the
complete and permanent opening OF the MIS-
sissippi valley to the markets of the world :;
but would also express Its regret at the refusal
of the last congress, after creating said COM
and Notwithstanding the deliberate
and emphatic approval of their plans by the
house committee on the Improvement of the
NJ Mississippi, to appropriate the amount estl
mated and recon mended by said commission
for doing the work by them carefully LAID out
and proposed. And be 1t further -h.
Resolred, That in the deliberate and earnest
Judgment of this convention, delegated to rep
resent the interests IN that behalf of more than
)ne,half the states and territories Of the union,
by more than One.half OF its entire
from which is collected above sew
,nty per cent of the entire internal revenue Of
he nation, whoselnternal commerce Is already
,ne halt that OF the United States, more than
,weIve times greater than the total foreign COM
nerce of the nation, or larger than the total
foreign commerce of the world but upon
whose industry Is this year levied by obstacles
in the safe and easy navigation of the Missis-
,ippl river and Its navigable tributaries, and
he needless direct tax by way of increased
'reights and insurance. wrecks and repairs, of
not less than $10,000,O00, it is the imperative
duty of congress, and the right of the people
for whom this convention is authorized to-
speak, that the legislation wisely begun be
made efiectual and permanent by charging
he powers OF the river commission acting I'M
Ter the reasonable supervision of congress
shall report as to that end, so that this great
md indispensable work, national In every
sense, shall be no further delayed. FRY
And BE ii Further ResOlced, That the sclen.
life and comprehensive system of river i'm.
)rovement, by competent commission thus
should be applied to the com
)lete and permanent improvement and main
enance OF All naVlEaOie tributaries Ol Tue great
liver. seA@ egHJt ~ -gs&J y.stts.-E. !
lind Be ii Further Resoloed, That this con,
'ention recognizes with great satisfaction tbeI
benefits. already resulting to the navigation of
Mississippi and its principal tributaries by the|
extension of the light house system thereto,
md expresses the earnest hope that the partial
lighting of these rivers may be speedily en-
argeu by increasing the number of districts
md lights to such an extent as the light house,
,oard, IN consultation with the river commits
ion, shall find necessary to render such ser
ice completely efficient.
And Be itF'arther Resoloetl, That the presl
lent OF the convention is hereby authorized
md requested to appoint at his early conven.
ence a committee of twenty one, who shall bel
harged with the duty of preparing as soon as
practicable after. the convention adjourns a
to congress on behalf of the dele.
rates of this convention and the people whom
hey represent IN support of and in accordance
With the foregoing resolutions, embodyIng