Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-09
THE VALUE OF THE RIVER.


| This is equal to 205 carloads of 10 tons each
| We also met the steamer Seller and barge snag
| dentist to its majesty, the Government and rival
with debris IN removing snags from giving
trouble. 1t is our privilege and our duty to urpe
orr congressman to at once act in concert with
| similar interests of the country and secure a
| large appropriation for the Sacramento and San
joaquin rivers and their tributaries Allow mo
! to give a few reasons for united energetic
! effort in this direction: On September Sd and
| ith there was held in St. Paul Minnesota a
| - Northwestern Waterways Convention" The
| committee appointed by the Convention allotted
/ to the nlne States and Territories represented
9Zo DELEGATES; Inere were over Geo delegates
! present, besides visiting Congressman from the
/ South and other portions of the country Gov
| eminent engineers, and other citizens They
claimed convention representing, aside from
| Alaska, one-fourth of the territory and one
| fourth of the population of the United States
| The subjects considered We're the care
ana improvement OF the navigable rivers
| of the Northwest, and tine construction of the
! Hennepin canal, an artificial waterway to ex-
tend from near Rock Island to Hennepin ON the
limos river thence to Lake Michigan, so that
the MISSISSIPPI and Missouri river trade C an get
to the seaboard via the lakes of the north Roth
propositions were unanimously indorsed after
the following and many other points were
brought out This nation has passed from a
period of poverty TO one of comparative wealth
Appropriations in this country for waterway
improvements do not compare with those made
by European countries and nations forlike work
This Government has given hundreds of millions
tor land grants and in subsidies to railroad on
terprises. These roads, with their "poolinpv
system, prevent the people from getting the
benefit of close competition vet are held i'm
check only by the natural Waterways of the
country. When navigation closes, the roads
frequently double their freight rates. That sum
mer grain freight rates from the Northwest to
the seaboard can be reduced one-half by river
improvements and the building of the canal to
connect the Western rivers with the Northern
lakes that this reduction will allow them To
compete in Liverpool with Russian Austrian
and Indian breadstufs: while the cost of the
| nn 1rurfh lxHf -, 81.
according to its carrying capacity, the reduction
of freight that its construction Will give 10 the
products OF that inland empire will save the
people thereof some twenty-f four millions of
dollars annually Statistics and figures are given
for this statemert); India is engaged in CON
structlng waterways for the transportation of
her Produc. 5; that the Northwest contributes
largely to the revenues of the Government: that
this nation has already spent about $50 600 900
on the western waterways, the most of il on the
| Upper Mississippi, and hence has recognized
the Importance OF the work and was
committed to sill greater outlay; that the Gov
eminent engineers had approved the work
General Newton having lust estimated that
from 100000 to S2o.0O00O0 is required to con-
tinue the present work being done on the rivers
and harbors. They ask for 81 100000 alone tor
the improvement of the Missouri river, which is
| one OF the most treacherous rivers of the earth
senator Eusts, of Louisiana, said to them that
the south favored such waterway improve
| ments. They claim that Congress has the
power, and that it is its duty to thoroughly en-
gage in such work; that they desire to work in
harmony with all sections of the country hav-
ing equitable claims for such improvements to
pc made; that Congress shall not pass river and
ha1bor improvement bills unless their wants are
| favorably considered The Convention closed
after adopting unanimously about eighteen
| lengthy resolutions. The portion most interest
ing to us is:
WHEREAS, In order to secure to the producers
CT this country the highest possible return for
their products, to receive in return the ex-
changes for the same at the most favorable rates.
and to sustain our proper relations to foreign
markets, the cost of transportation must be re-
duced TO the minimum
Rssotre1 That all naturally navigable water
ways and harbors of the United states should
be thoroughly and extensively improved; that
CERTAIN artlhciai waterways should be con-
structed; that s25 coo 600 per year for such i'm
proyements would not be an extravagant appro-
prlation on the part of the General Government.
We comment many of their points to the
Careful consideration of Messrs. McKenna, Nor
row, Loutit, and their fellow congressman
from this great State.
By the way, there is no man among all our
able and representative delegation TO Congress-
whose national reputation, whose great breadth
OF character, and whose peculiar relations to
this important question. will enable him to do
more for US, and who will do il with less urging
than our great beEefactor, and new United
States Senator, the Hon. Leland Stanford
have been little lengthy in reciting to you
my synopsis of the proceedings of the St. Paul
Convention of last September, but it shows how
the people OF the great heart of this nation view
question which greatly interests US. The West
is now power at Washington
A PARABLE IN CONCLUSION
Permit me to get back home a moment. make
. few comparisons, and have done. We, too
contribute TO the Government revenue largely
The Sacramento and San joaquin country and