Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-18
ALLFOR THE RIVER
An Enthusiastic Nesting nel1
Last Night
TO RUSH RIvERiMPR0vEmENTs
The Legislature WA Bs Asl,1 = - :
Ban 70 Enabls shs Cry -
Raise Funds.

one word OF discouragement uas hoard.
All who spoke and al vho vo1>1
seemed 70 be imhuen ~;sh IN. ~.-.~
sp,rt. The venor, of sh~ - .~.-.-
m,ts.. .nh~,,s.~a -
ons oeA ~ ~
auny oiscusseo sno Az substance Tor
muiatsd INTO resolution, Was adopted.
Charles K sigh va called on a
open the discuss.on. ~. .&.s.d 49,
the r,v.v ,n,~a.s. -'ss
go t.se
20" ePoiu iAvS1 ot asking TIE
legislature 70 submit N amendment -
the state conetltution 70 tho people of
the state. 90 that the city may amend
the city charter that the city may tond
itself for funds 70 press the improve
ment- He aid the committee cons>1.
cred the matter Of 20 much lsnportanoo
that meeting should be called for The
purpose of discussing the report Mr..
slign spoke OF the manner ia which
Grand Rapids - Disseminated aealnet
by the railroads The shippers had q.
tempted 10 get Concessions from the
raiirosds but could not get any sst,s-
faction. With ten feet of water Grand
Rapids could have = line of barges run
ming between Grand Rapsds aud Buff
iaio. There Was business TO keen euch
= line OF boats running.
win tn. Ciur.ns A.sse
The oueet,on vas worid sh. ~s&,-.-.
of Grand Eap,ds co Sovn ~ sha..
pockets and pay for this great improve
msnt Thers = nov on 40 49, -
freirht handled in and ont If shs .,s~
and there would be AZ le..t y, ~s,,,s
per ton saved II the v;ver w.s I'm
nroyed. II seemed sfranoe q, ~. r,,,-
mittee. which had stnd;.S ,hs .s,.,s..
wpy the citizens sbopId hes,s.,. ~, :
moment tn r.,se sI5o ooo 20 ,,,,, s,,.,
the improvement. The maeo,fude of
the lake traffic was not realized by
those who had not studied the eubiect.
He gave figures TO show that the ton
age Of the Great Lakes exceeded the
tonnage of the whole Atlantic coast.
Some persons had objected TO the
river Improvement because ID would
cost something to keep il in repair. He
called attention TO the fact that the
Chicago West Michigan railway from
the city TO the lake cost the company
$l,O0o,ooo TO build and the yearly ex-
penses OF maintaining was 80. 900 Per
year. Ooionei Luoiow's nEurcs Tor the
improvement OF the river Are 800 ,0oo
ana the cost OF maintaining the I'M
provemont wouid not cost ~ much ~
tie maintainancc OF . railroad Tor the
sanle distance. he eaid the cost OF
MAINTAINING the ranroad was always
PAID Tor py those VINO shipped goods
over the lines
Mr. siign called 20 mind the many
cases wnen rivers have been improved.
ne argued tnat tne tax TO keep up the
inserest on bonds would not be large
ana not ungic voter should hesitate .
moment from voting 10 pay his pro-
portlou OF the taxes.
Action to BE rakeu.
Mr.. Sigh moved that the lec;sy atx,ve
be petitioned "a submit : nyoro.,t;cn
to the people OF the stste nerf .nr,c~
to amend the constitut,on "a silorr shs
CITY of Grand Ran,ds IN hons ,tssIf ro~
funds 10 be used IN imnror,rv the
river.
Frank W. Ball said he did not think
the resolution broad enongh. He suv.
cesteo that in the Future \, r,scht -.
found advisable to bu.id q canal 70 tho
lake instead Of amply TO imnrove tho
river. He moved an Amendment "a
that effect. which prevailed.
/. NJ. Turner said: ssryervbodv
must concede the fact that tie ina
provement ia necessary. The ouea
ton war how To DO IL. He co,,a r.t
see why the neonle of the ststa .lor,d
rot vote Ia slow the reonio q. .s-.,d
Rapids the nriy,leye Of -ai.;py the
uonev N ,-nnrova az. ,ey<r ".
th.ncht . Man sbn,,,d 10 fcr,n.,i.f.d
before the question was snhrnitted n,
tha ler;slsturo According 20 uh,ch t.,e
r,a,'sr ,,,,., ~ a,,endsr n. s,.-
ce.,ed ,ba, a b,fl he enacted e.tsklt~h-
IN, a hos-t ~ trr,.,e.s f,- .he rsv.r i'm
movement These trussees 40 r>ce5v,
the r,onex ano ernend il nro,.~lv' TT~
did not think anv money ws. ever
ra,sed IN Grand Ransds wh,rh vo,,I6
psv such bic returns "A thi. matter
promises TO bring. lie favored the re.
port of the committee And the resnl,,-
lion offered nv Mr.. SIGH. He advises
having the Old snavs raised SO that
shallow water navigation would not he
,mpeded.
Instant psr~f,.
cbar,.su r.o,.-s .s,,s 49,,
a.. l,ra ~ be... was es,.,,li,hes an.
civ wonla insssrttr f..sl the ,,.ref,ts.
IT,. do,,., a., .h.,,s. ,.n.s.
wn,,la :. ~.ls ,,.tro,;-ss He an.
s,..rs .horia y, o,,c. g,s renewed .r,a
car,si, N,sy h.d osfevcd 40 ,aroove
.he s,.gs f-ou, The -ive~ for 500.
n y ,sn,rrh ss,s the f.cf th.f the
ho... on the ,,vsr we're not well pAsror-
;zed last su,nroer wa. not strange. ft
vss late before the Valley City was
runn,nr. and no arrangements were
made with boats 20 carry the freight
across the lake.