Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-01-21


representatives yesterday, with the
following letter from the president:
70 the Senate and House OF Rep
resen Latiyes: I transmit herewith
the report of Messrs. b. Angel OF
Michigan, John E. Russell of Massa-
chusetts and Lyman E. Cooley OF llli-
rois, who were appointed commits
sioners under the authority of a law
passed March 2, 1895, to make inquiry
and report, after conference with sucn
similar commissioners as might be
appointed ON behalf of Great Britain
Or the Dominion of Canada, concerning
the feasibility Of the construction OF
such canals as will enable vessels en-
gagged in ocean commerce to pass be-
tween the Great lakes and the Allan
tic ocean and the most convenient To-
cation and probable cost of such
canals, together with other facts and
information in said act specified relat-
ing to the proper construction and
use.
THE commissioners have prose-
cuted the work assigned them with
great zeal and intelligence, resulting
in the collection of a mass of info1ma-
ton embodied in their report and It's
accompanying exhibits, which is Of
great importance and interest as re-
lated to the project subjected to their
examination.
The advantages of direct and un-
broken water transportation Of the
products of our western states and ter
ritories from convenient points OF
shipment to our seabOard ports, are
plainly pa.lpable. The report of the
commissioners contains, in my Opin-
ion, a demonstration of the feasibility
of securing such transportation, and
gives ground for the anticipation that
the better and more uninterrupted
commerce through the plan suggested
between the great west and foreign
ports with the increase of national
prosperity which must follow in the
train will not long escape American
enterprise and activity.
ct will be observed that the re-
port of the commissioners, though as
comprehensive as the time and facil
tiles at their disposal permitted, does
not definitely deal with the cost of th>
work they were called upon to con
slider, and Omits some of the Other
details related to it. Thus far they
have labored without compensation
and part of the small sum appropri
ated for the payment of their expenses
still remains uneXpended.
L suggest to the congress tht
propriety of making economical pro
visions for such further prosecution
of their work as will more fully de
WelCp the information necessary tt
a complete understanding of this in
teresLing and important subject.
Grover Cleveland"
The conclusions of the commission
are as follows: 1T is entirely feast
Ole to construct such canals and de
velope SUCH channels as will be ado
quade for any scale of navigator tina
may be desired between the gr3l
lakes and the seaboard, and to conduct
through the same domestic and foreign
commerce, and it would be wise to pro-
vide for the seucuring of a channel O.
navlgable depth of not less than q
feet. Starting from the head of Lakes
Michigan and Superior the most eligi-
BILE route is through the several grea
lakes and their intermediate channels
and the proposed Niagara ship cana
| (Tonawanda to Olcott) to Lake Ontario
The Canadian seaboard may bt
reached from Lake Ontario by way Oh
the St. Lawrence river and the
! American s5abOard may be Teachel
frCm Lake Ontario by way of the s..
Lawrence and Lake Champlain anC
the Hudson river, or by way of the Os-
wegO-Oneida valley and Hudson river
| Our policy should contemplate the u
innate attainment of the largest sue
cesssful capacity and all works should
be planned on this basis and the actual
execution should conform thereto, in
sOfar as the works may without
prejudice be progressively developed
with the actual demand OF commerce.
The completion of the entire system
as quickly as the proper projects can
be matured and economically executed
is fully justified. The Nj
agara ship canal should be
first undertaken and incidentally the
broadening and further deepening OF
the intermediate channels Of the lakes
the same being in logical order Of de-
velopment and so in requiring the
least time for consideration. In view
of the international character and re-
lations OF part at least of the works
that would be required and of the
riparian interests involved. it seems
eXpedient to make examinations and
carry on the work through a commits
sion that may be possessed with GER
tain limited International functions.
Complete surveys and Investigations,
with measurements of the outflow of
the several lakes and a full investiga-
tion Of collateral questions will cost
not less than 100000 and require some
years Of time. The agricultural COM
petition this country recently had to
meet with India and which is likely
to be intensified impel the government
to take steps to cheaper freights. The
limit of reduction in railroad rates has
been reached and attention must be
directed to waterways" In referring
to wheat the commission expresses
fear of the consequences of increasing
competition from the Argentine repub-
lie and Uruguay. The rapid develop
ment of the American iron ore bust
ness on the lakes indicates that with
access to the ocean by the practical