The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-12
WATERWAYS.
Conferrees Have Another Meeting.
There Are Three Points Which Cam
not Be Agreed Upon,
And the House Men Say They
Smack Too Much Of Jobbery.
Senator Quay's Scheme TO Improve
the Ohio River.
All tho Appropriations for the Improve
mont of the Mississippi River re-
stored-Louisiana Streams
Provided For.
Special nI,rateh to Tho NrrlcN.

Special Dispatch TO The Nrpltl
WASHINGTON, July 1.-The conicrrccs
on the river and harbor bill held another
meeting today aud came TO an agreement
on all but three items These are tho
Portage lake the Green and Barren aud
the improvement Of the Ohio river at
Pitsbug The projects OF all three of
these items were added to the bill 10y tho
Senate, and are now being strcnuousy OPP
posed 10y the House conicrrces. All three
Of them involve the purchase of locks aud
canals from private corporations, and all
will probably stand or fall together in the
conference. Tho Portage lake project
contcmpatcs the purchase for $500, 900 Of
two canals with locks, which con-
meet Lake Portage with Lake SUI
pcrior. Lake Portage lies in the center
Of that part OF Michigan known us kcwana
Point, and with the two canals in question,
makes waterway across the point that is
80 miles shorter between Buffalo and
Duluth than the route around the point.
The improvements are owned by the For
tage Il Lake Superior ship Canal conf
pany, who estimate their value ut $4,000.
Of Coursc, the company has monopoly
which IL wishes to turn over Ia the govern
mcnt. The Improvements IN the Green
aud Barren rivers, In Kentucky which
consists Of four locks and dams, are con-
trolcd by private corporation, and
were secured 10y u lease from the
State. This lease expires In lSgD.
The business Of the two streams
Is carried On Ivy this corporation which
shuts oil nll competition 10y putting tho
lockagr tolls mp M high that outsiders arc
unable to put their boats In for share VI
IL. At the time the contract went into
effect great hardship Was cntailcd on tho
people living along the two rNcnWhO had
no other means oi reaching market OF
more recent yCnn, however, the building
Of railroads has greatly relieved the situa-
ton aud now the monopoly enjoyed Wy
the company h not M profitable. lho
government h asked tp buy the uncNpircd
lease for siI,, uOO, and open the rivers to
itrr commerce. II the government should
take this step Il will, oi cOuuse, be- obliged
10 keep up the locks aud dams In repairs,
and make annual appropriations ior that
purpose.
The third point oi difference IL with r.
gard To the contemplated improvement u
the Ohio nycr ~ ritt-burg. While the
river aud harbor biIl wa- under cousid-
Grafton IN the House, an amendment was
inserted nppuprintiug something over
$4,000 Tor the purpose Ut purchasing
lock No. I. Mononguhria river, belonging
Ia the Monunguhola Navigation company.
This VAS la accordance wilha plan already
inaugumlcl 90 make thc navigation Of this
river free There were eight If
these locks. one having already
been bought los the government IN
previous river aud h1rhor hill, AMI every
coal barge passing down the river was
compelled io pay toll NJ each lock oi tho
company. When the hill reached tho
Senate the Monongahrla Navigation COM
pnny succeeded IN inducing Senator quay
Ia oilcr q substitute ior this proposition.
This substitute. which was adopted, ap-
proprntcd 100000 Tor the purchase IL
sites iur three movable dams to Zee con-
structcd on the Ohio river, nul Ike
amount a. hrgin the building Of the Jams.
Tho object ui this work h tu mako
the Ohio nuNignhlU at lll seasons
1T the year The House conferred.
object tp this substitute ON the ground
that the total cost of THE new work would
We lnf moro NNlHNNlh' NllN lhr N'A Nf'h
shown. aud also because the purchase
oi tho Mouongihcia locks, which LAS al
rady b,cn commenced. should hu COM
plotted aud will be- ui much murc pflc-
teal benefit to the people ut that .'yil1n
oi the country iu relieving them from tho
grasp 1T a grinding monopoly than would
the proposition Of senator Quay Tho
House couiorrus think they see job IN
all these projects aud arc fighting them
vigorously They nir doing this with al
the moro vigor In view oi thc Presidents
declaration thns be- would not tolerate a
bill that smackcd nj 90 Of iohhcry.
Al the items connected with the Mis-
Sissippi river have huuu restored just ~
they were when they came from tho
House. with the exception ul tho item Il
$4,000 ior the notification OF the Nrhat-
alaya This has been reduced 90 49,
600. but ns the engineers report only
called iur s2UOWu. the amount agreed
upon l. very satisfactory, Al 4 tho
Louisiana streams, including Bayou Ia