Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-13
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Directors Yesterday-The Fox and Wis
consin River Improvement Discussed
The Third Street Crossing and Other
Matters Debated.
The board of directors of the chamber
of commerce met yesterday morning. and
all the members had on their war paint.
The result was long session lasting for
two hours, during which many of those
present expressed their views upon the
various subjects before the board.
THE FOX AND WISCONSIN RIVER IMPRoyRE-
MENT.
One of the principal matters before the
board was the report made by MIR. Noyes,
from the mercantile committee, on the Fox
and Wisconsin river improvement, which
was as follows:
Your committee to whom was referred
the communication of Gen. John Newton,
Of the board of engineers, q. S. A., relative
to further improvement Of the Fox and
Wisconsin rivers, TO secure y ater commu-
nication between the Mississippi river and
the lakes, would respectfully report that
the northwest is pre-eminently interested
IN cheap transportation, and thus in the
establishment of lines of water communi-
cation with eastern ports and markets,
water competition, especially if under gov
ernment control, securing at all times even
and favorable rates of transportation and
protection against combination and mo
nopolg.
The history of the Fox and Wisconsin
river improvement is well known to this
chamber. AS far back as 1873 the route
westward for freight and travel was by
these rivers, so nearly connected at'the
portage as to be naturally preferable to
any other.
From the fire survey in 1917, by Maj.
Long, TO the last just completed, all COM
potent engineers have agreed that the
route is an excellent one and the plans of
improvement entirely practicable. In 1916
the state of Wisconsin received q govern
ment grant of land in aid of this improve
ment, and soon after entered upon
the work, surrendering it,
however, to the general
government IN 1871, on payment by the
government of $145,O expended in addi-
ton to the value of the land grant. Since
then the work has been conducted by the
government on the plan of improving the
natural channel of the Wisconsin river by
wing dams and dykes, the Fox river by
dams and locks to secure slack water naVi-
cation.
Gen. G. X. Warren, about 1867, recon-
mended shat canal be built along the
Wisconsin river-froIn the Mississippi to
the Fox river-in preference to any at
tempt to improve thai wide and shallow
stream. The final decision in this matter
of canal, or river, must rest with very able
and competent engineers who have the
work in charge. From st. Paul,
this route has about 25O
miles of Mississippi river navigation
112 miles on the Wisconsin, seven miles
Of canal at the Portage and 146 miles on
the Fox river. It's plans contemplate 81
locks, 165 feet long, 6 feet deep, and 50
feet wide, covering a fall of some 200 feet.
If the Mississippi river Improvements,
which is of primary Importance, is car
RED out, and five feet OF water secured,
4 tug, properly constructed, can take at St.
Paul three barges, carrying 1000 tons, in
tow and deliver them safely on the lake at
Green Bay. The canal and ffty-four miles
of river improvement--on the Wisconsin
were completed in 1679-(see report of
Col. a. @. Houston, engineer in charge)-
and $2,161.000 have been expended in
the work. 1t is now estimated that 49,
100000 more are required TO complete It,
viii it pay to expend this large amount
upon it? Your committee firmly believe
that ii will, and that the benefits Of the
northwest, direct or indirect, of such
waterway, under government control, will
be incalculable.
1t should DO a free highway for com
MERGE, and thus forever a guaranty OF
cheap transportation, and of protection
against monopoly and extortion. The
great hindrance TO this work for many
years has been the opposition of parties
Interested in railroad lines, and very
naturally inclined to delay and disparage
so formidable competitor. "They will
not willingly permit in tie northwest the
creation OF p second Erie canal"
Grain is now being carried by lake, canal
and river l, 422 miles from Chicago, H., to
New York for S262 per ton, or less than
6410) of n cent per bu5hel. By tho Wis
oonsin and Fox river route, when complet-
ed, the rate from upper Mississippi river
points to the lakes should be less than by
aay existing route. It is not expected
that this route would take out all the pro
duce of the northwest, or bring in all its
merchandise from the east, but it would
surely modify and control rates of trans
portation between the Mississippi river
ohN ans LANES. MI murphy VI NEW lork'
IN hj5 argument for the abolition of
tolls upon the Erie canal, said of
1t: 1t is the great regulator of the cost of
transportation, and it would DO sound pol
icy and wisdom for the state to maintain
this great waterway in condition of the
highest efficiency, though not ton of mer-
chandise was carried upon it," Gov. Ho-
ratio Seymour said of it: IF it did not
carry pound of freightit would be wise to
keep it ready for use to defeat unjust and
hurtful charges" If, as has been asserted,
"ths chief element in the prosperity of any
state or nation is the economy of trans
portation of persons and property" We
cannot hesitate to urge upon government
the immediate and permanent improve
ment of the greatest waterway of this con-
tinent, the Mississippi river, especially
that long neglected portion of it from the
Des Moines rapids to the head of navigs-
ton, and in connection with this-ss part
of the great plan of general improvement
the early completion of the natural aud
most available waterway from the Missis-
sipi river to the lakes via the Wisconsin
and Fox rivers.
1t would, however, be as great folly to
complete this waterway, aud neglect the
improvement of the upper Mississippi, as
to build an extensive bridOA and nArlact