Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-11
THE MISSISSIPPI MEETING.

The River Convention TO be Held NJ
Dubuque Next Week---Importance
90 Every Town In the MississippI
Valley.
On Tuesday next--January 1.-THE
convention called jointly by the mayor
and board of trade OF Dubuque. will meet
In that city. The objects of the meeting
are ITO incite an interest IN river COM
merce. to devise methods for its increase,
aud to formulate concerted action to III
duce favorable consideration on the part
of the present congress In the appropria-
ton of sums sufficient TO so improve the
channel of the river. that the dangers of
navigation may be lessened, and conses
quently that the business may be able to
be conducted proitably at even lower
rates than are now enjoyed.
1t is impossible to lay too great otress
upon the importance of any measure
which looks to the improvement of the
Mississippi. 1t is not matter of inter-
est alone TO the man directly interested
in carrying merchandise up and down
the river, but it should be a matter of the
deepest interest to every shipper. and to
every farmer 10 the whole country which
the river drains. The cities which are
situated upon the banks of the river GER
tainly have an interest stronger and more
selfish than cities which are less directly
benefited by this means of transportation.
Rock Island will be represented by
delegates from the Business Men asso-
citation and city council President Fergu-
son, of the former. having decided upon
his delegates, and they will be appointed |
at the meeting Friday night. Mayor |
Blanding named seven aldermen to reps |
resent the city, yesterday Aldermen
Howard, Schroeder, Edwards, Winter,
McConschie, Gray and Simmon. The
president of the Business Mems associa-
tion and mayor of the city are invited by
the circulars received by them, requesting
Rock Island is not so much dependent
upon the river for transportation facili>
ties as some of the others, we cannot af-
ford to leave anything undone to i'm
prove those facilities to the utmost. The
city is one OF the most important points
between St. Louis and St. Paul. and the
better the water shipping facilities are
n adc, the stronger factor they become in
his great problem of freight rate regula>
ion. The Dubuque Herald says of the
coming convention:
1t is to be hop n4t the people of this
tate and surrounding states will be
to their own best interests. This
convention is one of the means TO the
nd. The public servants in congress
hould be impressed with the needs of \
heir constituents, that the result may be e
II that can be hoped. And this des =,
ire on the part of the people should n> =
uence congress to so frame bills relat-
Dg to this matter that no Objectionable 81
ratures should be tackled on as riders, h
Making the bills liable TO veto. Also A
be sentiment Of the public should be a
trongly expressed that any bill favoring y
he Improvement of the river should be "
w tniouSu no carly III tiiC sSSSiuu as puS- | W
ible, so that, in case of failure Of co MFR m
nation by the presidential signature, the
bjectional features may be removed.
The lumbermen of Davenport, Rock
'land. Moline and MuscatIne had
eeting in Davenport Monday to discuss Il
atters of interest in their business.
here was good representation present. S
mong other things it decided to appoint
elegates to the river convention at Du a,
lque. g. W. Gable of Davenport, P.
!. Musser of Muscatine, J. 8. Keator of W
oline and j. P. Weyerhseuser of Rock
land were appointed. e,