Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-09
The New Orleans River Convention.

The New Orleans River Convention.
The main purpose OF the Waterways
Convention, at present in session a. New
Orleans, is TO mould public opjniaa in
favor OF ImprOvin. The Mississippi river
ant its tributaries in accordance WITH the
plans OF the Mississippi River Commits
sipn or course all tue Mississippi ' al
ley Staiaa are anxious that the improve
meut snail be pusl-j forward as rapidly
a. possible. but in the states which are
not directly interested in the Mississippi
river, there Is a strong sentiment against
spending 80 mucH money on an experiment
the success OF wAich is by no means GER
tain. No one can give an Approximate
estimate of what it VIII cost to improve
the Mississippi on the commissions plan.
Engineers differ widely it, tleIr estimates,
out ia Is probable that they are all agreed
that to comp ate the work would require
at least Slg0e4.o10.
It would De- worth that sum 10 the coun-
try, and much more 10 have the Missis-
sppi confined within its banks and made
nayigable at an seasons OF the year.
Assuming, therefore, that the necessary
appropriations ought 10 be made, this
question arises: How can the claims Of
the river be- presented 70 Congress so as
70 stand the best chances Of meeting with
success;
Since the work Of improving the Mis-
slssipp began the river and harbor bill
has failed twice. On both occasions it
contained large appropriation for that
river. 1t would not be just, perhaps, to
say that the failures were
due TO the large appropriations
for the Mississippi, but there are good rea.
sons for thinking that they were. When
ever the river and harbor bill fails all the
rivers and harbors Of the country. in
which improvements are being made. suf-
fer. Work on the Savannah river viii he
greatly retarded because no approprIa-
tions for rivers and harb0rs were made at
the last session of Congress, and it is
probable that much Of the work already
done viii be greatly damaged by the
delay.
Representatives from States not in the
Mississippi valley are beginning to see
that their interests are suffering because
of the hostility to the river and harbor
bill. There is no doubt that the majority
Of Congress is IN favor of continuing
work on the Mississippi river, but it is
not in favor Of river and harbor bill
4 that is so large in amount as 10 excite
hostile criticism.
/ If the Mississippi river Representatives
/ therefore, insist on sadding their river
on the river and harbor Dill they need not
/ expect to get an appropriation oftener
than once in two years, and then not a
very large appropriation. Unless
/ extraordinary results are obtained
/ by the River Comm ssion be-
/ fore many more millions are
expended on the Mississippi, it would not
be surprising if the appropriations for It
were suspended altogether. The repre-
sentatives OF other river and harbor inter-
ests VIII not submit much longer to have
their interests sacrificed.
Two small bills stand a much better
chance Of passing than one large one. If
the convention ~ New Orleans is guided
by wise counsels it viii pass resolutions
instructing the Mississippi river repre-.
sentatives to favor separate bill for the
Mississippi river. All the representatives
Of river and narbor interests will act to-
gether then as they do now, and the oppo-
sition that they Will encounter will not be
nearly SO great.