Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-11
PLATTE RIVER CANAL PLAN
Commit ee Reports to Commercial Club that
it is Practicable,
THREE MILLION DOLLARS REQUIRED
Club Urged to Use Every Means In Is
Power to Hasten the Undertaking
and the County to Vote
n Subsidy.

The executive committee Of tho Common
cih club met last evening to receive the re-
port of the special committee recently ap-
pointed to investigate the canal project.
The following was the report OF the subcom-
mittee which was unanimously adopted
without discussion:
TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF
THE COMMERCIAL CLUB-Gentlemen:
Your committee appointed to Investigates
and report on the Platte River Canal pro-
Ject would say that we have carefully in
v~estigated the figures and statements pre-
pared by the various engineers in charge OF
this enterprise, and are convinced that the
Platte River Canal and Water Power pro-
ject is entirely practicable and feasible In
every, way; that the conditions are un-
usually favorable for an enterprise OF this
character; we find that the Platte river.
this side of the confluence with the Loup.
has at all seasons OF the year, in connec-
ton with the Elkhorn river, n sufficient
volume of water to afford u water power
for twenty-four hours every day in the
year, and that by u storage system the
night now can be held in reserve To afford
basis. ~
The reports of the expert engineers en-
ployed in making the surveys show that
TINS canal and water power system can be
constructed for about SO. 900, 900, giving
Omaha a water power much larger than
that at Holyoke, Lowell. Manchester or any
or the great manufacturing towns in New
England: larger than the water power at
Minneapolis, and greater than any other
water power In the United States, except that
now being completed at Niagara Falls. We
hnd that the surveys and reports of the
engineers regarding this enterprise cover "A
period of several years, and that every de-
tail in their reports have In turn been sub
mitted to several of the greatest hydraulic
engineers in this country, and that the
unanimous report of these experts is that
there are no serious engineering obstacles
TO be overcome, and that the project is
not only practical in every respect, hut un-
usually favorable. as regards conditions OF
SOIL supply of water, etc.
What Omaha needs is manufacturing in
dustries giving steady and remunerative
employment to the laboring classes; moth
ing that could be projected will afford as
much relief and employment to our labor
ing population as the building of this canal;
nearly all of the millions necessary for its
construction will be expended right here
for labor; following closely upon the con
immense amount of work furnished skilled
mechanics for years to come in the cree
tion of great manufacturing plants that
Will be brought here by the cheap power
produced by the canal; Immediately follow
ing the employment of this skilled labor
would be the further steady employment of
thousands of men and women in the vari-
Gus industries, when completed and in oper-
alton.
Omaha is just now at a point where the
starting of a great enterprise like this canal
would give new life to the city. and by at
through the very magnitude of this under
taking, would cause a large influx of pop
uldlloi anu capital, ana n consequent re-
vival in business of all kinds.
From 1888 to 1887, covering a period of
about four years; Omaha gained nearly
every city in the west, with hardly an ex-
ception, was growing rapidly and gaining a
proportionate increase in POPULATION; today
the conditions are entirely different; no city
at the present time is attracting unusual
attention. and the town that begins to bet
ter itself by inaugurating some great in
dustrial enterprise of almost national i'm
portance will attract the attention of thou
On md XtTIn a IN h1Ei aANv - f.n, F~, l..a
mess and manufacturing. This is Omaha's
opportunity. and by starting this great en-
sister cities and become a center of attrac-
ton throughout the entire country. Some
time ago we voted $500 900 in bonds to aid
the Nebraska Central project, and while
this would have helped the city very mate
rally. yet the results to be attained. If it
had been built, would have been so insig-
nifcant compared with the direct benefits
to be attained by the building of the
Platte River canal, that there is no compar-
ison. Last year we expended hundreds of
thousands of dollars in street improve
ments that furnished work to a few
months: with the completion of the work,
the money was spent with no returns, and
badly off as they were before its com
mencement. We would therefore recon-
mend to the executive. committee of the
Commercial club that immediate steps be
taken towards the beginning of the Platte
River canal, and that this club use every
mencement of the same. and that the
county commissioners be requested to sub
NIT to the people a proposition to vote a
liberal subsidy to aid in the construction
of this great enterprise. believing that
the great increase of taxable prop
erty consequent upon the building of the
canal Will not only pay the interest upon
the bonds, but create a sinking fund that
will pay off the bopds in full within ten
years. Yours very respectfully,
A FARRELL,
w. T.. CLARKE,
A. =. Turkey,
ALVIN SAUNDERS,
GEORGE. N. HICKS
ommitte