St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-01
The Mississippi Risrr Comuivsioa


The Mississippi river commission was 1--WE
think organized BY the exertious. OF those
especially interested in the Mississippi river
below Cairo. On this stretch OF the river no
work OF radical i'm rovem.nt had ever been
attempte by the general government pre-
vious TO the organization Of the commits
sion.
When the com mission was first organized,
II was five think generally supposed their
jurisdiction covered.the entire Mississippi,
Including the upper Mississippi, aud during
the first year Of the commission, It's mem
beers made hasty inspection over the entire
river from st. Paul down. The result Of this
inspection was their unqualified approval OF
all plans being carried out. Bat as tue work
of improvement between st. Paul AM Cairo
was at that time going on under
the supervision of the engineer
corps OF tile army, the commission did not
assume any special charge over the work. Iu
the river and harbor bill, approved August 2,
1882, under the items of appropriations for
improving the Mississippi river from Des-
Moines rapids 10 the mouth of the Illinois,
and between mouths Of Illinois and Ohio,
reference 10 executing work in accordance
with plans Of the commission was made; but
the presentation of projects to and approval
Of the same by the com mission was the only
result.
The river and harbor bill, approved July 5,
1854, again contained wording which con-
nected the Mississippi river commission
with the details OF WORK on the sections Of
the river above referred to, aud these sec
tons have now passed under the control Of
tue commission, and out Of the hands OF the
engineer department. The special action
OF congress, placing the above referred
u sections under the commits
sion, indicates that originally they
bad 10 jurisdiction as regards details on the
upper Mississippi. This is in accord with
customary ruling that the Mississippi aud
upper Mississippi are different streams, That
is. the upper Mississippi is a tributary of the
Mississ ppi as are the Missouri and Olio,
over which TIE mississippi River commission
exercise no Jurisdiction. II is thought posi-
ble that au aitemp. VII be made in the river
and harbOr bill, which will probably be
passed hy The present congress, % extend the
authority Of the commission over the balance
Of the upper Mississippi, that is, the portion
between St. Paul and the Des Noines
-ayids.
II cannot, Of course. be argued that any
special evil would result from such q change
IN administration fsrther than the more red
tape is wound around ans work the more
troublesome the work becomes. IN
doubtedly the same plans as have been
worked under fo- six years would be con-
tinued. Bu: there Ia this 20 be said against
a change: The Engineer Corps Of the War
Department we're earring on this work when
the commission was organized. aud have
continued 20 carry It on and IL IS believed
they have carried II Gu successfully aud
ecOaOmcalle, seeming, according 10 the
verdict OF The practically informed aud most
interested. most cFeditable results. The En-.
giueer Corps commenced the works and
against opposition have proved the correct
ness of their plans and have converted op-
position into strong support. Now that sur
cess "a assured, aBd the time for giving credit
has arrived, /; seems hardly just that the
work should pass under the general charge
Of another organization.
II would therefore appear thai II no good
| is 70 result from change II there Is 20 good
reason for taking supervision ont Of the
l engineer eoTps aud placing ii In the hands
/ Of the Mississippi river commission, that
! justice would demand that the work Of i'm
/ proving the Mississippi river from S. Paul
/ 10 the Dies Moihes rspids, be continued on the
/ same basis - heretofore.
Tbs same remarks az are made above refer
Also 70 toe improvement Of the Mississippi
from the Des MMRes rapids to the mouth Of
the Illinois and ina improvement Of TIC Mis-
sissippi between ttE mouths % the Illinois
/ and the Ohio On both Of these stretches,
a. between S. Pau and Dss MONIES rapids,
I the engineer e0rps Eere carrying on the
! WORK satissactpzsiy before The CON mission
Eas Orgzaized. and there existed no neces-
/ siiE for a change in the gsae-al supervision.
This Is e47ecizlly TIE case between ;ae mouths
OF TIE Illinois and Ohio. Nator Ernst, Of
re engineers, 70 charge u thafE~brk, has
J1ccomp sishes bef0r s. L0nis more az.Onish-
I Ing results. and 10 him and bis corps toe
credit Of this wOrk shoa:d be ziven. AS 4
Bow stssds, his xork viii b. knorr as TIE
work Of The Aississipya river con mission,