The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-21
THE GOVT BOUGHT
OVERFLOW RIGHTS
Protests Against Upper Missis-
sippi Reservoirs Based on a
Misconception.
Congressman Stevens Says Dams
Insure Rate Regulation Thru
the River.

The publication Of Major Derby's re-
port on the Mississippi reservoirs serves
to throw a great deal Of light on a sub
iect which has agitated Minnesota poll
In his report Major Derby says there
IS considerable local opposition to the
dams along the upper Mississippi be-
cause a considerable acreage Of land is
overfowed. This land the government
has the right 6 to 0 0IeT naG hayng
the land has passed into the hands Of
spectators, who would be glad to see
the dams abandoned that the land might
revert to them free of the incumbrance
of the government 8 overflow rights.
On this point it is observable that no
deceived. The government paid, in most
cases over twenty years ago, for these
overflow rights. Notice was served and
lands were thereafter purchased with
the knowledge that the fowage right
existed. These rights were obtained in
several ways-by. act Of the legislature
as far as state lands were concerned,
by agreement with the Indians as far
as reservation lands were taken and by
quitclaim deeds as far as private lands
were concerned. For many years moth
ing was heard Of the terrible wrong
done to yettlers by the dams. It was
only wh1n Minnesota lands rose consid:;
the state became interested and began
exerting their pull for the purpose Of
abandoning the dams.
Opposition Is sophist1cal.
But the opposition to the reservoirs
is probably an ambushed one. This may
be fairly inferred from the fact that
the operations of the government. The
United States began the work and has
continued it, not for the purpose of
floating logs, as ayerrred, but for the
benefit Of river navigation. The pur-
pose of the dams is to maintain stage
ton and st. Louis which will admit of
commerce being regularly carried by
I the river.
On the point Congressman F. @. Ste
vens said to The Journal yester-
daX;n .
pretended or totally misrepresented
/ the reason for the reservoirs. They are
! for the assistance Of navigation and
4 for the benefit Of theScommerce Of the
whole Mississippi valley, and they are
of the utmost Importance. Their aban-
donment would be not only absurd but
a calamity, as will easily be seen when
one considers the great rate problem
L
the reservoirs have done more for the
protection of shippers than any ten
laws congress could pass Take the st.
Louis-New Orleans traffic. A CONTROL
ing factor in the making Of the rate
from st. Louis to New Y ork is the cost
Of sending the same classes Of goods by
water. The open river between st
} Louis and New Orleans becomes ther
a matter Of immense Importance tt
shippers. The Interstate commerce
commission recognizes this factor, ant
SO the railroads have to in making {
reasonable rate The same thing il
true Of the upper Mississippi from st
Paul to St. Louis. Give us four-foo
| channel, or, better still, a six-foot chan
. mel, which is called for in the new sur
| vey provided for by congress, and will
: the river and the water outlet to tn
: north and east by the lakes, and Min
r nesota is forever commercially inde
: pendent. This is subject in whic]
: Minnesota is vitality Interested, and
am thoroly aroused upon it. The CT
: about the overflow Of lands Is piec
9 of cheek. The government paid ful
value, for those lands in good casf
comes from such humble fillers Of th
soil as Gil Hartley Of Duluth.''
8 SENATOR NELSON worked LOT Dams.
o There has been some talk that Sci
l. ator Nelson had changed positions o
: the reservoirs and was opposed to then
= but this cannot be the fact, since
= was Senator Nelson who got the las
II appropriation thru congress for rebuild
70 ing one Of the dams. The river an
Is harbor bill came from the house witt
out this item, and Senator Nelson e
g it put in, steered it thru conference an
= stayed with, it till the bill was signe
5, No other northwestern man in the sci
q ate could have done what he did.
Another thing that should be note
is that the work on the dams is pra
= tically completed. No duty now r
A. mains but that of maintaining ar
y operating them, and this is compar
le lively light, as the engineers repo
e. shows. The dams were originally. bui
81 of wood, but by successive appropri
iee tions congress has had all but one r
II built Of concrete. =