The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-04-12
pRoMorE ruE ruBL1c wELrARE

4
and benefit the commerce of the country to
such an extent as to justify the expendi
ture required for that purpose. The bill
provides for the construction of a canal by
| the general government from the Illinois
river at or near Hennepin to the Mississip-
/ pi river at or above the mouth OF Rock
river, in the state of Illinois. with feeder
or branch canal from Dixon, on Rcck river
to the main canal at or near Sheffield and
/ your committee after a most careful con
| sideration of the subject, are of the epin-
| ion that such canal should be constructed
| by the general government and for the fol-
lowing reasons:
| /. 1t is work Of national interest and
| Importance and not merely of local inter-
est. By the construction of sixty-four
miles of canal, which can be done at cost
of less than $4,000, 900, as estimated by
| the war department, the upper Mississippi
and the tributaries will be connected with
the lakes, and we will have a
continuous water route from Mime
apolis, On the upper Mississippi river, to
the Atlantic seaboard.
r. 2. 1t will open a new avenue of trans
4 portation and trade and will secure cheap
Ter rates of transportation to the entire ag-
ricultuNl area tributary to the upper
Mississippi, and will connect that great
channel of trade with the lakes and the
| seaboard by direct water route, and
which must be of great benefit to the east
and west as well as the south
8. 1t viii enable the farmers and pro-
ducers of the upper Mississippi valley to
reach the merchants, the manufacturers
| and the mechanics of New England and
the middle states, largely engaged in manu-
| featuring, at much less cost, with their
praducts, while the manufacturers can
! also reach them with their manufactured
/ fabrics at cheaper rates of transportation.
! The very able committee of the Senate of
the United States, of which Senator Win
dom was Chairman in 1874. in their report
on transportation routes to the seaboard,
say, in speaking of this proposed canal,
4 that if constructed. the
THE SAYING IN COST OF TRANSPORTATION
of the surplus crops of Iowa and Minnesota
| alone, in single year, would more than
pay the entire cost of the construction of
this canal. 1t has been well said of this
canal that, when taken in connection with
the great benefits to be derived from its
construction, it win be the cheapest canal
| in the world. =
4. This proposed canal is certainly To-
Gated in that section of the northwest
which produced in 1879 more than SIS per
cent. of corn and wheat raised in the
United States. H
1 s. The construction of this canal has
been earnestly recommended and asked for
| by memorials of the governors and legis-
latures of Iowa and Illinois, by resolutions
of very large and respectable convention
of delegates, representing the commercial
and agricultural interests of the valley of
the upper Mississippi, and by the boards
of trade of the large commercial cities of
Chicago, Buffalo, and New York.
6 This proposed canal when construct
ed, will connect the upper Mississippi river
with the Illinois river and the Illinois and
Michigan canal and Lake Michigan, thus
adding several hundred miles of navigable
water to the eastward ronte to the seabord
by way of the lakes, the New York and
Erie canals and the Hudson river The
increased exports of domestic merchandise
fer the. year 188tover that of 1871 amount
ed in value to 1856, 527, 039, 10 per cent.
of which were agricultural products The
United States have 10 competitors which
surpass them in
GREATNESS OF PRODUCTION.
and if they can surpaSs other nations in
cheapness Of transport they can control
tile markets of England and of Europe
generally; for it needs no statistics and no
arguments to demonstrate that the markets
of the world are commanded by those ma
tions which can sell the cheapest
In view, therefore. of the earnest, urgent
and increasing demand, especially of the
agriculturists of the country. for cheaper
transportation, to which they are Justly
entitled, and in consideration Of that sound
public policy which demands such trans
.portation facilities as viii most conduce to
the increase of the agricultural exports of
the country and to the cheapening of the
same to consumers in the eastern states.
the west, your committee are Of the opin-
that said canal should be constructed with
out unnecessary delay. and they therefore