Evening times-Republican., 1903-10-15
WOULD REDUCE RATS
Object of Mississippi River I'M
proyement Associations
Meeting at Davenport
EFFECT ON RAILROAD CHARGES
River Traffic Not Only Makes Lower
Rates for River Towns, But for All
Towns Within Hundred Miles of
the Big Waterway-How Rates Are
Reduced.

Davenport, Oct. 15.--The Importance
Of the coming meeting OF the Upper
Mississippi River Improvement Asso-
citation at Davenport Wednesday and
Thursday of next week is fully under
stood by great many people, but 1t
may safely be ventured that the ma
jurity are not aware of the real rea-
sons for the existence Of the associa-
ton. its exact aims and The scope of its
work. The average man has hazy idea
perhaps that the movement Is purely
on the upper river, or is designed mere
" to make conditions better for the
packet lines and the towns that are
ports. Such an idea indeed, has led
some of those having the power to ap-
/ loint delegates to appoint river men,
owners and CAPTAINS ot steamers, to
appear as the representatives of grea.
business communities. OF course the
presence of men OF this kind is desfra
Die. by reason of their technical knowl
edge, and by reason that some of them
have made Il deeper study of the whole
situation than merchants and profess
sonal men have.
The proposition of the association as
is quite generally known, is to secure
eminent tor the deepening of the
channel of the upper river TO such an
extent that there will BE- six-foot
St. Louis to ST. Paul. This will, of
course. cause economy n the operation
OF boats and certainty OF the river traf-
| fic at all times when the river is free
from ice. but these are not the prl-
mary objects of the association.
| The real purpose OF the association
and the one that gives 1t standing as
one of the. most important organiza-
tions in the west is the reduction of
| freight rates, not only on the river par
ticularly but on the railroads. The
river traffic has held the railroad rates
down in the past and If the river traf-
tic can be made more certain and
cheaper TO handle, the railroads will
have to lower the rates still farther.
| This lowering of the rates on account
of the presence of the navigable stream
and the traffic on ii affects not only
| the rates for points on the banks of the
liver. but those at points as far as a
| hundred miles away in either direction.
| That is the situation in regard to
the association and its reason for he
| ing.
| The effect of river navigation on
railroad freight rates was admirably
discussed by Major c. Med. Townsend
1 in paper on the Improvement OF the
upper river. He said in part:
THE published first-elass railroad
rates from Quincy TO ST. Louis. a dis
| sance by rail of 40 miles, is the same
as that from St Louis to a point thir-
| six miles south. or from Chicago 10
a point ffty-one miles west. Between
Burlington and ST. Louis. 22l miles by
rail- is the same rate as from ST. Louis
| lsixty-one miles south or from chicago
| l10 miles west FirSt-class freight does
| not, however. usually seek water
route, and IL the Burlington shipper
happens to be a manufacturer VINO
| handles plow shares or stove castings
! in carload lots. he will be as favorabiy
lltea ted as If he resided in town thir-
ty-two miles south of 1t. and Will have
the sar. freight rates as the town ff-
ty-six r .Iles west of Chicago has to that
city. L. is evident from. the map and
tables that the Mississippi river has
materially affected freight rates to st.
Louis but what Is still more surprising
lis its influence on Chicago rates. If you
will examine the map you will find that
beyond the influence of Lake Michigan
IN Wisconsin and Illinois the lines linz
lifting the 80 and accent rates to Chi
icago preserve approximately uniform
| distance from that city except In the
direction of the Illinois and Lake Mich
Iigan canal These generally correspond
TO the maximum rates allowed for
railroads of Glass A by the railway and
warehouse commissioners of the state
| OF Illinois: but with the 50-cent, con-
| tour there is marked change. The
lu,ximum rates fixed hy the commits
s,oners have been abar doned and the
II line has become convex towards Chi
CO go instead of concave. with cusps on
1.-The Mississippi riyer-one at Winona
and the other near st. Louis. The
trade of the towns on the Mississippi
river Is considered by tue railways en-
ltering Chicago to be worth striving
after.