New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-18
MISSISSIPPI RfrER IMPR0VEMENE
GEORGE L. wEIGHTs ARGUMENT FOR LIBERAL
APPROPRIATIONS.

! GEORGE L. WEIGHTS ARGUMENT FOR LIBERAL
APPROPRIATIONS
George l.: Wright, Secretary of the Executive
! Committee of the Mississippi River Improvement an
organization covering the entire Mississippi Valley, in
speaking of the work Of the Commission. said recently
| that the plans adopted by the River Commission had
proved successful wherever they had been tried and he
expected that the full amount asked for by the Com
mission for the lower river would be granted. well
rs the amounts needed and recommended by the United
Statcs engineers in charge OF the works the upper
! Mississippi Being asked what the great OBJ
stacle, in the way Of sufficient appropriations, he
marked that one great obstacle which had 10 be over
come was the general lack Of information the part Of
Congressman in regard to the magnitude and impor
! lance Of this work There another class of men
who opposed the work hccause they were afraid the
! Mississippi River would form a rival route for
the transportation products from the interior the
! scaboard Another class. also who pretended to be
! friendly to the movement but who took a and
sin guar view of tho matter seemed TO fear that
State. or districts would he benefited by the reclama
ton Of lands which useless and which the i'm
provcment Of the channel and the prevention of foods
would render valuable for productive purposes This
class Of men especially careful 10 express the view
that whatever money was N"cd must IN no wise behtht
the country well IA secure nayigable channel.
at ia well understood continued Mr.. Wright,
that the people Interested in this improvement have
for their primal object the securing Of n navigabe
channel in the interests of commerce. That ia the great
purpose of the work bat IN accomplishing this purpose
mlnv millions of acres may be reclaimed to production,
and this fact should furnish double for carry
ing the work forward. The land in Mississippi alone
which eau be reclaimed would in a few years produce
enough in value 10 pay for the whole work from New
Orleans 10 ST Paul Instead Of the saving of property
being an obstacle being considered reason why
the money should not be appropriated it should be
reason 10 give the movement increased support. The
intrinsic value Of the lands which would be Thus re-
claimed ~ well the value Of the production added
to the cOunts trade enter naturally and necessarily
into the calculation of the resulting advantages. fair
estimate would be that about fnnr million Of the
s per acre would amount to $40, 100000. The value
Of the productions in cotton, corn, sugar and rice may
be reasonably put at $500, 600 0OO annually from this
land Snch result this would Of itself justify the
expenditure for the improvement
Til, increased production furnishes much addit-
iona 70 be fIeighed and banked, and makes
This now worthless property available also for taxation
for the support of the General Government But when
we consider that these results only incidental that
the process which sccomplshes them will also lberate
interstate and international commerce from its present
letters and that q cOunter-chrck 10 the monopoly of
freight carriage will DO created, ii strange indeed
that there should be any hesitation or the part of Con
gross in voting annually and regularly oil that Il
necessary for these great improvements. The people
In the West and South very earnest in this matter
and will have the Mississippi improved at all hazards
In reply to the question whether or not the movement
had any political Significance. Mr. Wright replied
THE movement 20 get the river improved is in no
sense a party measure; but at the came time 1t Is
question that may enter politics, like any other great
economic question. Our Eastern statesmen seem afraid
TO champion this improvement, yet bel eve that no
man can succeed the Presidency unless be Is in favor
of that work President Arthur has tumbled, as the
boys say to this idea and has issued two special mes
sages in favor of the improvements and the result is
that In the Mississippi Valley he has become ono II the
most popular Presidents the country has had for long
time 10 illustrate the interest developed will ven
ture to say that at least one hundred peutohS Iot I'M
proyng the Mississippi have been sent 10 tho members
of the XLyIilth Congress by their constituents from
all parts Of the Valley and of them have no less
of these petitions is watching quietly to what will
be their effect. AZ the present time matters are
shaping themselves in the Valley with view TO seeing
spoken advocates Of the improvement Of the Western
water routes"