Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-28
RIVERMEN NOT In 1T.
Captain Dravo Loses His Fight in the
Chamber of Commerce.
his PLEA FOR HOME INTERESTS.
Q. S. District Attorney Lyon Explains His
Position Clearly.
THE PECULIAR POSITION OF BoATMEN

merce yesterday. It was one of the liveli-
est meetings the Chamber has ever held.
The fight was all on Captain Dravo's water
way resolution. He wanted the Cham
Der to indorse section 4 of the pend
ing river and harbor BILL which
gives to anyone the right to make
informations in the United States Court
against the persons who infringe on the
waterways. 1t narrowed down to a contest
between the manufacturers and the river
men. United States District Attorney
Walter Lyon also took hand and the
rivermen were whipped.
1t had been insinuated that if the Dis
trict Attorney had been more watchful the
rivermen would have no cause for COM
plant. He showed up during the discus
sion and made few remarks about the
people in the Chamber.
Captain bravo and Captain Bachelor
submitted their report Colonel Roberts
had refused to sign it. The report called
for better protection of the waterways
ard requested that the Chamber instruct
the Pennsylvania representatives in Con-
gress to see that this section be retained in
the bill. The section reads:
The Bone OF Contention.
That any person or persons, corporation
or company obstructing a harbor or navf-
gable waterway of the United States con-
trary to the provisions of the act of Congress
entitled ian act making appropriations for
the construction, repair and preservation
of certain public works on rivers and har-
bors and for other purposes" approved Sep
tember l9, 1891, may be prosecuted or enJolneo
on the complaint or bill of any private lndl-
vidual or corporation feeling aggrieved by
such obstruction, in the United States Cir
emit or district courts having jurisdiction
thereof in the name of the United States.
Provided, that no nolle proseQui shall be en-
tered on any Indictment for such onense
without tie order of the court.
When a motion was made to pass this re-
port Captain Dravo spoke as follows:
The purpose of this report alters no law
or proposes no change of legal processes.
Against this simple proposition my esteemed
friend Mr.. Ricketson, at our last meeting,
made Ii most unwarranted speech, in which
he is reported as saying that rivermen re-
spected no persons right but their own.
When and where have rivermen infringed
or disregarded the rights of othersS Have
they obstructed any OF the highways OF trade
or travel? Have they interfered with the
operators of railroads? Are railroad trains
compelled to "tie up" at night in conse-
Quence of anything rivermen have done?
ale manufacturing plants or railroads? Have
rivermen appropriated public lands for
private use? What single right of the pub
lie or of individuals have rivermen violated
or disregarded? Not one.
Where the River Men Suffer
Yet river men have suffered all OF these
hindrances in carrying on their trade in
consequence of the doings of others. The
rivers, which they occupied for the use of
he hef rail hril We
been rendered dangerous and their use
costly, by the occupation of the beds OF the
river for mill sites, for the construction of
railways and the channels narrowed and
made dangerous by the dumping of cfnders
and other refuse material, limiting the ca
pacity of the rivers for floods and ice
breakups River traffic has been seriously
damaged bv the erection of faulty bridges
with insufficient headway, badly located
piers, with restricted channel ways, making
1t costly and dangerous to pass these OBJ
structions and nearly impossible to hold
river crafts during floods or ice break-ups.
As result of these trespasses upon river
rights our steamers have to tie up at night
increasing the cost of transportation and
causing the loss OF valuable time. In con-
sequence of narrow channel ways it has be-
come necessary to employ, at heavy cost,
steamers to break the ice on the rivers when
frozen over to make it possible to save crafts
moored along the shore. And as a further
consequence of the numerous bridge piers
necessary to send out tows, to employ q
second steamer as a helper to pass artificial
distractions between Pittsburg and Beaver
and then on reaching Steubenyille to tie up
for the night. Thus river men are compelled
to pay tribute to all OF these distractions by
largely increased cost of navigation.
The Pittsburg and Lake Erie depot is To-
Gated where boats were formerly anchored
for safety in times of floods. Nearby its en-
tire road-bed within the city limits occupies
territory which belongs to the river and is
ice gorges. The filling-up work is still going
on-dangerously going on. The debris from
the city is being dumped into the river fill
ing up the channel to the serious detriment
OF river commerce, and yet river men must
not complain or move in the defense of these
great highways which a beneficial Proyi-
dence furnished for the use of the people.
Regrets the Chambers Antagonism.
Captain Dravo again referred to the
speech of Mr. Ricketson at previous meet
ing and denied that the act gave an alder
man the power to enforce the provisions of
the act, and then concluded by saying:
Allow me to submit that in seeking the in
dorsement of section by this Chamber,
did not attempt by indirection what was
not willing to challenge the utmost scrutiny.
The privilege conferred by the said section
Is SO manifestly American and proper that /
confess profound astonishment that the
slightest opposition was developed.
/ deeply regret that there exists in this
Chamber an uncovered. though occasionally
coming to the front, antagonism to immedi-
sonal experience is in proof that he who
earnestly espouses the cause of free and un-
obstructed navigable rights will meet open
as well as secret opposition. The delivery
distant points is not hard to secure, but the
Chamber is very chary on home matters
where doubtful claims and equally doubtful
rights may be affected.
United States District Attorney Lyon was
present and at the invitation of President
Kelly gave to the board his legal opinion of
section of the river and harbor bill He said:
MIR. Lyon Makes An Explanation.
1t is a step toward striking down an old
and well established policy Of the Govern
ment. There is no such thing as a private
prosecutor in the United States Courts, and
for this reason it is impossible to have
grated such a section in an act of Congress.
But, conceding that Congress might adopt
the section, the question is is it a necessity2
There is no doubt but that valuable river
land is appropriated for manufacturing
sites, and 1 suggested to Colonel MerrelL
some years ago, that there ought to be an
act OF Congress fixing harbor lines.
Subsequently such an act was passed. and
it WAS made as sweeping and as strong as 1t
is possible to draw an act. 1t gives the
United States courts equitable Jurisdiction
in navigation distractions and provides a
fine and Imprisonment for violations of the
act. In all violations reported to my office
the law has been put promptly into force
and violations stopped.
Mr.. Lyon then enumerated about score
of prosecutions which he had instituted and
pushed to convictions. Among these were
the firms of Jones & Laughlin, the Oliver
& Roberts Wire Company, the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad, the Western Pennsyl- !
vania Exposition Society and Stolzenbach /
& Pheil He said that he had tried to do |