The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-11-06
FROM The LAKES
TO The GULF
Recent Convention at New Or.
leans Endorses Movement
and Advises Action.
TO USE CHICAGO CANAL
Interstate Mississippi River Improve,
ment and Levee Association Adopt
Resolutions Approving Con-
struction of Waterway.

New Orleans, Oct. 30.-The interstate
Levee associations convention closed
it's session after adopting q series Of
resolutions in favor of government
jurisdiction of levees and adequate ap-
preparations for their speedy conStruc-
ton, if government control is not ad-
Nisahle, and indorsing the proposed wa
terWay from the great lakes TO the gulf
and the use of the Chicago sanitary
canal as a part OF that project.
At the morning session Judge Robert
5. Taylor made an appeal from the pro-
posed movement for government own
er&hip.
AT the opening of the afternoon ses-
sion the report of the committee on
resolutions was presented as followc:
Resolved, That in the Judgment OF this
convention the protection of the NisSiS-
sippt valley from hoods is of such ma
t!onal importance as not My to JUSTIFY,
but to make it the duty of the general
government TO undertake It and to press
it to the speedieSt possible completion. If,
Tor any reason, the exercise of sole juris-
dlCtion at tlris time by the general gov
then this convention urges most earnestly
thar congress make, at its approaching
session, such appropriations as are recon-
mcnded by the Mississippi river commits
sion i'll its recent report.
Resolved. further. That the system of
river improvements In the valley OF the
gulf, and in the valley of the Ohio and
other tributaries not provided for, and
those which may hereafter be provided
for by congress-, under the supervision of
the United States engineers, has our
hearty cornmendation, and should be
pressed to completion without unneces-
sary delay.
Resolved, That the attention Of congress
IS invited to the serious disasters which
have befallen those residing at or near st.
Louis, Kansas City and other localities by
reason of the recent great floods; and the
secretary of war is respectfully requested
to cause an inquiry TO be made with q
view to the preparation of suitable plans
for the prevention OF u recurrence of such
Resolved, That the convention of dele
gates representing the states of the great
Mississippi valley from Duluth to the Gulf
of Mexico gives its unqualified approval
to the movement for the construction of
a waterway connecting the great lakes at
the north with the Mississippi river and
the Gulf of Mexico at the south. We re-
quest the expenditure of So, 600, COO by the
sanitary district OF Chicago as a practical
demonstration in the furtherance of this
project. We express the hope that the
senator's and representatives in congress
Of the various states represented in this
convention VIII give their encouragement
and assistance to congressional legislation
IN favor of the completion of the deep wa
terway to which the Mississippi valley
states have already given their approval,
and to which the state of Illinois and the
sanitary district Of Chicago are committed
as a matter of policy ana by great tinun-
expenditures already made.
The resolutions We're received with
applause, and were unanimously
adopted.
A committee was appointed to me-
morialize congress With the resolution
adopted.
President Scott her introduced
Charles s.. I'~airchild Of New York, who
said that as the government had aided
transcontinental railroads, had taken
up irrigation of the west and was plan
ding an isthmian canal, he believed the
ievee project should receive equal at
tention from 1t.
Richard H. Edmonds, editor of the
Manufacturers Record, followed Mr..
Fairchild.
Congressman ]. Sharpe Williams Of
Mississippi was introduced and strong
y defended the constitutionality of gov
crnment aid in effecting protection.
Letters and kilograms were read from
governors, senators, congressman. rail
road presidents and others expressing
sympathy with the movement, and the
convention was finally adjourned.