The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-03

exist. The saving on present business of
a single year will more than pay for the
complete Improvement of the entire river,
and give it over to the enjoyment of the
people for all time to come.
Its great advantage is shown in the fact
that after water competition has SO re-
duced the cost of railroad transit, water
rates on such articles as constitute the pro-
auctions of the country. For instance.
grain costs but one mill and fotty-fvs
hundreths of a mill per ton per mile on the
lakes and one and sixty hundreths of a mill
per ton per mile ON the Mississippi river;
while the lowest rates which railroads make
is at least five mills per ton per mile. The
improvement OF the Missouri river as
proposed by the convention will make rates
equally as low, which will reduce the cost
Of grain freights to from two to
four cents per bushel from all Missouri
river points to st. Louis. which added to
the rate of sig cents per bushel now pro-
vailing between that city and New Orleans,
would make rates of eight to ten cents per
bushel from Missouri river points to the
tlde-Water. as against the prevailing rate of
twenty-five cents to New York. The differ
ence would make the Missouri valley FARM
ers rich, and give a great impetus to every
class of business. Governors, senators and
representatives in congress-, senators and
representatives in state legislatures. mayors
of towns and cities and Presidents of COM
mercial bodies are entitled to seats in the
convention, besides which commercial
bodies are invited to appoint delegates.
Some people affect to doubt the feasibility
of SO improving the waterways of tho
United States that they will contain a uni
form depth of channel at low water. In
support of this proposition they say that
the failure of the navlgable capacity of the
Missouri river is due to natural causes. and
that all efforts to improve it have failed
heretofore. Congress is not inclined to ap-
propfiate large sums OF money upon un-
certainties and will not follow up one fail
ure with another.
This belief is too prevalent among the
people OF the Missouri valley. If they
kno what is good for themselves, and it ia
presumed they do, they will do what Con-
gresham Tarsney and nine sof his collea-
CUES did recently-investigate. That the
rs-estRbllahInent of on tho river
would be Of immense value in the carriage
of cereals and the produce of mines, is in
disputahle. That the river oan be- con-
trolled Is equally certain.
The cause Of the so-called failures in the
river was %cleverly outlined by Mr.. Tarsney
in a recent address. instead of spending
the money according to the scientific plans
OF the engineers of the army. it has been
spent according to the scientific plans of
members of congress." A change has been
made and good results are already appar-
eat.
At an expense of $4,000, 900 per year for
ten years, a system of permeable dikes can
be put in the Missouri river from Sioux City
to the mouth, guaranteeing an average
depth of eight feet at low water. The cost
of the IMPROVEMENTS To- being made is
about $4,000 per mile. The sand depositsd
in one mile of the river in rectifying the
channel and protecting cavinQ bends
amounts to two and one-half million feet.
10 collect this sand would cost $500. 900.
The river can be made nayiaablo for
about tie same amount per mile that it
would cost to build one single track rail
road. 1T will have the carrying capacity Of
thirty such roads, and is besides free to
the people. Anybody can use it who wiahes
to. 1t rarely is closed by ice now, and with
deeper water to float Off broken foes, the
danger of gorges would be obyiated to n
very great extent. With the river opened
and improved fully to New Orleans, the
closing of the northern lakes could not be
used IA an excuse for immediate advance
Of rates on grain for export. This ques-
ton will be discussed at the coming con-
vention at Kansas City, Dec. Is and l6,