National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-06
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS
Report of the Executive Committee Of the
Ohio River Commission.
Striking Statistics Of Great Internal
Commerce,
The Value Of The Ohio Waterway in Cheapenlng Cost
Of Transportation.
The Enormous and Increasing Produo-
tion of the Onto River states.

Pennsylvania, in the chair, and John Kirk
patrick, of Ohio, acting as secretary Reso-
lutons were adopted expressive Of the views
of the commission as to the causes Of the
destruction Of towboat at the Davis Island
dam, with the loss of several lives. The cause,
in the opinion Of the commission, was from the
government leaving the piers without lights.
As this was in violation Of all precautionary
regulations of the government as they apply
to individuals, the commission ordered that
the matter be brought to the attention of tho
governmental authorities. 1t was also recon-
monded that electric lights be displayed on
all piers, piles, and walls at the dam.
Committees were appointed to appear be-
fore the commerce committee of both houses
of congress to urge the immediate compile
ton of the dam. Complete it will require an
additional appropriation of $4,000.
George H. Thurston and Col Walton, of
Pennsylvania; John kirkpatrick, of Ohio,
aud George w. Parsons. Of West Virginia,
were appointed a committee to represent the
Ohio river improvement commission in the
Mississippi convention by request Of that
body.
Mr.. Thurston presented tho following re-
port to the Ohio commission as chairman of
tho executive committee, which was adopted
GENTLEMEN OF THE ONO RIVER CoMMIs.
SION 1t is now nearly twelve years since
this commission, in September, 1872, organ
lied at Cincinnati, its proposed duties being
to look after the improvement of the Ohio
river and its tributaries.
The commission having met for its twelfth
annual session at the capital of the nation to
again present the subject matter of its pur-
port to congress, 1t is not 'amiss TO briefly
review the importance of its work.
Examine u map of the United States and
sec how completely the Ohio and its tribu-
taries, in conjunction with the Mississippi
and its western tributaries, gives water trans
portation from the Gulf of Mexico to within
200 miles of the Atlantic coast and but little
more of the Pacific. Refer to tho census Of
the country and see where the main torso of
the nation is according to tho census statistics
| of 1880.
out of population of 5O,15575s, over
| 100000 are in the seven Ohio river states,
and in the states of Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas,
Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
| and Wisconsin--the eight Mississippi river
states most Immediately benefited by the
improved navigation Of the Ohio-thore are
over 100000 population, or %, 124,0S0 in all,
over one-half of the entire population of the
nation. In the United States there arc 1,00S,-
907 distinctive farms, of which 1,l6S,360 arc
within the seven Ohio states and 917214 in
the eight Mississippi states. The total value,
as given by the census, of these farms in the
whole country is $l919T T096,777. Tnoso in
the seven Ohio states have valuation of
Si3S7, 20s 097, and those in the eight
Mississippi states, S1,055, ,7590i4. The total
vauo of the live stock of the nation is. by
census returns, $l,50o,43i.GO9; of this
S5n2 525; ;52Sis owned in the seven Ohio states,
stgtes. The value Of farm machinery
in tho United States, according to
the census. is Si0G,52O,051, of which $1i1,-
699,S02 is owned in the seven Ohio states
and S106. 6.s33,4i3 in the eight Mississippi
states. The farm products for 1880, as given
| by the census, of all the United States was
80 2,2l3, 400, ,56i; of that the seven Ohio states
produced S750,511 $50 and the eight Missis-
sippi states $3.50, 6,Ss6,569. BY tho statistics
of 1880 there. were 253, ,S52 manufactures in
tho whole country; of these S9,707 were in
the seven Ohio states and 33,7l7 in the
eight Mississippi states. OF $2790,2 ,272, ,606 of
capital invested in manufacturing S9i0, ,6000O9
was invested in the seven Ohio states, and
$240, ,656 S56 in the eight Mississippi states. Of
total S0i10j3795 Of wages paid yearly for
hands in factories, tho Ohio river states paid
S276, 1861 and the eight Mississippi states
ST., ,937 ,072. Out OF 2.740905 hands employed
in the factories of the country there were
S5S 172in the manufacturing establishments
of the Ohio river states and 2l2, 199 in those
of the Mississippi. The total annual product
of the manufactures OF the United States.
according to the census of 1880, was S5,369579,- :
l9l OF this the factories of the Ohio states
produced $l,79l, ,4l3,30S and the Mississippi
states $510,075, $3.50.
From this, it is apparent that the section OF
the country of which the Ohio and Misss-
sippi rivers are the grand natural water
road is the body Of tho nation. 1t
appears that the seven Ohio states con-
tain one-third of the population Of the
union, and the eight Mississippi states one
sixth, both aggregating quito one.half II
also appears that the seven Ohio states have
80 per cent. of the distinctive farms, the
eight Mississippi states over 20 per cent, and
both aggregate over one half ofthe cultivated
farms of the nation, that the valua-
tion of the farms in the seven Ohio
states is 90 per cent of the whole
farm valuation of the United States
and the valuation of those in the eight Mis-.
sissippi states 10 per cent. and both com
bined being equal to one-thrd of the entire
farm value of the whole country. That OF
the live stock of the nation over one-third is
owned in the seven Ohio states, and over
81 per cent. in tho eight Mississippi states
and in both divisions over 80 per cent, The
census of 1850 also shows that 30 per cent. OF
the farm machinery of the nation is owned
in the seven Ohio states and 25 per cent. in
the eight Mississippi states or an aggregation
T of go per cent. on all. That tho seven Ohic
states yield over one-third of the farm pro
ducts Of the nation, and the eight Mississippi
states % per cent, and both group o
statos combined 60 per cent. of all
OF the whole number Of factories in thu
union, as returned for the census of 1880
there werc in the seven Ohio states 35 pc
cent of tho whole, and in the eight MisSis
. sippi IL per cent, or an aggregate of As PEI
cent. Of all the manufactures that in th
fifteen Ohio and Mississippi river states
nearly 40 per cont. Of all the capital invested
in manufacturing in tho United States wa
employed, of which 80 per cent. was investet
, in the seven Ohio states; that the manutacto
Ties of the seven Ohio states employ over 81
por cent of the people working in factories
aud the eight Mississippi states per cent.
tho seven Ohio states paying nearly 80 pc
cent. of all tho wages paid for labor in tn
factories of the union, and the eight his
: sissippi states s per cent; that o
tho entire factory product q
tho union the seven Ohio state
yielded over 80 per cont, and tho eight Mis-
sissippi states little short of 10 per cent, o
, I3 per cent in both groups of states com
binod Of tho entire yield of all tho states
! From these census statistics and per cent
comparisons il is clear that an average o
from DO to 80 per cent. Of all the nation
: population, agricultural wealth, manufac
turing product, and productive force i
located in the section of tho nation TO whic
Z tho Ohio is great transportation artery, an
from 33 to 40 per cent. of those elements Z
y national power aud wealth arc tho seven Obi
/, river states, asking through you OF the GOV
o ernment the best Improvement and RULES
j utilization Of the navigation of that river tha
engineering skill can produce.
/. To the burden capacity Of railways an
: possible profitable routes thoro is limit. q
well 10 the investment of individual capiti
' ! tlDrAiu Tho parrUin panapitV Df Our riVel