St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-16
OUR WATER ROUTES.
The National Convention Sets
Forth Their Need for I'M
provement.
Congress Will Be Requested
to Act Generously in Ap-
preparations.
Plea for a Regular and Con-
tinuous Allowance for
River Work.
Warehousemen Organize to
Secure Recognition
Farmers Wants.

EVANSVILLE, Ind, Oct. Is. = The
waterways convention was called to
order by Hon. d. B. Wood, of Louis
lana, Hon. Charles Anderson, the tenn
porary chairman, being indisposed.
Permanent organization was effected by
the election of eX-Gov. E. o. Stannard,
of Missouri, as chairman; T. w. Venue
man, of Evansville, secretary, assisted
by }. w. Bryant, of Louisiana, and E
nj. Sharon, of Iowa.
On taking the chair, Gov. Standard
made quite lengthy speech, making
strong argument in favor of river
improvements, which are demanded as
a menace to the high rates of railroads.
His speech quickly put the convention
on its mette.
floor and made an especial appeal for
the Hennepin canal. showing its neces-
sity and the work already done in its be-
half. Hon. j. f. bravo, of Pennsylvania,
spoke in relation to the Ohio river
and the improvements needed thereon.
Judge Taylor, of the Mississippi river
commission, reviewed the work done by
that body and showing the necessity of
Os =.
Washington, of Nashville, Tenn, spoke
on behalf of the Cumberland river, and
showed the necessity for work on that
waterway. III. l.. Hill, Of Missouri, de-
manded an eight-foot channel from ST.
Louis to Cairo.
An invitation was read from the city
council, board of trade and business
mems union of Minneapolis urging the
convention to meet there next year.
hi fnI
port, whose mayor, G. A. Ficke, who is
n delegate, emphasized the invitation
with few timely remarks on location,
etc. But as the matter is in the hands
Of the executive committee both invita-
tons were referred to that body. The
resolutions were adopted amid pro-
longed cheering.
A National Necessity.
The representa- yes of the CONNER
cial, industrial and transportation inter-
ests of the Mississippi valley in conven-
Iion assembled at Evansville, Oct. II
and Is, 1871, feel deeply the necessity
of the continued improvements of
the Mississippi river and its navi-
the most economical means Of
transportation Of the surplus products
of the great West to the markets of the
world, and that it is the imperative duty
of the general government to adopt
fixed policy in relation to the improve
ment of said waterways in the interest
of the whole people by continuous and
liberal appropriations, in order that the
work may be speedily and economically
prosecuted, do hereby adopt the follow
ing resolutions:
First-We reatfirn the general principles
laid down in the resolutions adopted at St.
Paul. ST. Louis, Washington, New Orleans
Memphis and Cincinnati, looking to the i'm
pIoyement of the Western waterways.
Second-Realizlng the inefficiency of the
present method of irregular and uncertain
biennial appropriations, and believing
that with fixed and continuous APP
populations the work of improve
economically and rapidly carried out by the
various river commissions and government
engineers In whose charge the improvement
of the rivers is pla ced. we respectfully but
urgently request the congress of the United
States, in considering the needs of this i'm
portant work, TO adopt plan of fixed and
continuous appropriations to be made until
this great system of internal improvements
shall have been completed.
Third-We again command and approve
of the plans and methods of the Mississippi
and Missouri river commission and govern
ment engineers that testify to the value of
the work done and results obtained.
Fourth-We recognize the great penefit Of
the present system OF lighting. the
snag and dredge boat service in
removing dangerous distractions from
tie rivers and therefore recommend to
congress an enlargement of the appropria-
lions so that the number of lights dredge
and snag boats be adequately increased in
the interest of safe navigation. We also re-
quest the government engineers in charge of
our dredge and snag beats 10 investigate the
merits of the Marsh postal jetties a means
of removing sandbars W hich obstruct our
nayigable rivers.
A Shot at Bridges.
Fifth-While coneeding the right of con-
gTess to further the transportation interests
of the country by granting franchises for
the construction of bridges across navigable
streams, we contend and emphasize the fact
that such bridges should be located and con.
structed so as to prove OF the least possible
obstruction to navigation, and we re-
specially ask that congress in grant
ing franchises, and the officers of
the government IN approving plans for
bridge shall protect the waterways of the
West from being unnecessarily obstructed in
the interest of ana for the benefit of railroad
companies or other corporations.
Sixth-We also recommend that congress
shall enact laws making it penal offense to
encroach upon the natural bed and channel
of our rivers by the dumping of refuse or
other material, and when such encroach-
ments have been made to the injury of navi-
CATION, the persons guilty of the otfense shall
remove the obstruction at their expense.
Seventh-In the interest of cheap trans
portation we request congress to restore to
the people of the nation the free use of all
nagigable waters now incumbered by toll
collecting corporations, compromising such
corporation for any valuable improvements
they may have made.
Eighth-The success of the plan of I'M
lowing navigation of the Ohio river by
lem of nayigable dams having been
srlonstrated by the construction of
Davis island dam, we there
hereby commend that system
recommend that congress make further
- preparation in the construction of addi-
tional dams at other points on the Ohio river
as recommended by the government en-
gineer in charge of the work.
Ninth-We recommend appropriations for
the completion of the locks at Baoun Pla-
ing open by dredging of Old river at the
mouth of Red river as per plans formulated
by the Mississippi river commission.
Tenth-We recommend continued appro-
preparations for the upper Mississippi in
order to preserve the work already done and
to make additional improvements in the
river bed with the view to provide naYiga-
Bile stage of water from
St Louis to Minneapolis,
and that fair proportion of any appropria-
ton may be appred to the removal of the
lSobstructions in the Mississippi river between
Minneapolis and Fort Smelling.
Eleventh-ThiS convention heartily ap-
proves the legislation of the Fifty-fTst con-
gress in appropriating 100000 to begin the
| construction of the Illinois and Mississippi
canal from Rock Island, on the Mississippi
river to Hennepin. on the Illinois river. and
| approaching, as it does, the national import
ance OF this waterway intended to