The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-09
ance Of the work, and to commend the
action Of the association in admitting

ance of the work, and to commend the
action Of the association IN admitting
Individual members. .aa'....
Sessions, were held this afternoon and
a short session will be held this eve
ming. Tive sessions will be held. TO- e J.
tees on resolutions, finances, nominal
tions, reservoirs and bridges reported.
Special committees and the committee
on finance will report tomorrow and the
election of officers will take place. The
meeting place of the next convention
will be selected: Moline, I'LL, has ex-'
tended an invitation.
Crocker''s Paper. sss,,
SAT. the meeting this afternoon A. 4.
Croker of Minneapolis read the fol-
freight wall of 400 or 500 miles from Pitts
Ohio river to the Gulf of Mexico and of 1900
miles from western Nebraska to the Pacific
ocean. shuts In that territory described in the
United States government reports as the north 1t9
are the northern business metropolis. 1t Is a
territory greater than China with its 400 600 600
of people; section which contains more than
half the improved farm values of the United
States; more than half the livestock and which
| produces IS per cent Of the food products of
the country; section that has city within Its
limits which, with Its tributary district, produces
| more freight tonnage than New York, London,
Liverpool, Hamburg and Antwerp combined, and
which contains another city that ts the greatest
railroad center on the globe, and which Is In
creasing' in manufacturing faster per annunl
than any other three cities in the United States.
| The great necessity was made plain after the
civil war that the barriers Of time and dis.
i lance between ocean and ocean be broken down
by railroads, and it was done, and with that
went the great era of railroad building. Many
seem to think that that is the end Of transpor.
tation development in the United States. The
development of the Great Lakes ship channels
shows how cheap waterway facilities develops
a country, with It's cities and railroads we'll
We are accustomed to speak of American rail
roads as the cheapest of railroad freight car
riers. As compared with European railroads
nor an intelligent one. We have had no water
ways but the Great Lakes, and they certainly
have proven the right to exist. By their cheaI
carriage of coarse heavy tonnage they have de
veloped the whole northwest and demonstrated
clearly that facilities generate business ant
freight tonnage. ~~' In Europe the cheap bull
| transport Is by canals and waterways, and the
higher-price package freight resulting from thu
| manufacture OF the heavy, coarse materials i
carried by, railroads. The records show tina
along with the development Of the waterway
and their cheap transportation has gone thu
regular and normal growth of the railroads
which carry only the high priced freight: mad
possible by the waterways. The result of tn
combination Of water and rail traffic has bee
Of great benefit to the whole country in whicl
| they were located ..... Sc
The north central west is suffering from hig
freight rates Improve our waterway faclitie
] and, just as surely. as the 45O-ton schooner il
/ the Great Lakes grew into the ii, 0O0-ton steam
| er by reason Of improved and cheap freigh
facilities producing freight, just so surely vii
| the improvement Of the great river produce ton
mage for both water and rail transport. Their
| is conflict between the freightcar and tn
large. All traffic history shows that each ha
! its place and each supplements and helps tn
other, and the whole people reap the benef
| For our army 40 per cent Of our national rev
enue expended for rivers and harbors; light
neuses and n.r consular "nnt service
sources of taxation out of which til
40 per cent is to come: The history Of the irr
cation movement gives plain example for Us
to follow. The Pacific railroads united to in
prove and fill up the arid west thru which the
ran. They contributed $25, 900 a year to hir
two good men to publish a newspaper In the ir
terests of irrigation and held annual tirrigatio
conventions for popular and legislative education
They then got the arid states sleagued into
legislative alliance offensive and defensive. an
the senators from fifteen such states .notife
their brother senators that the day Of the pool
relation treatment they had SO long received Ina
passed, that they demanded their rights In al
preparations. With this was coupled the state
ment that no legislation could go on until the
, request was granted. The bill was passed b
reclamation. &a.>s5 .afs-s g
The north central west with the twin cit
:, metropolis. at Its head, wants the utmost poss
: Bile extension, Of the reservoir system at tt
headwaters Of the Mississippi both in wiscons
, and Minnesota. They want the surveys mat
, for the ultimate possible development Of II
3 channel by dams and slackwater navigate
giving q, passable twelve-footr channel with IL
r permanent structures like docks Included th,
: what Is done now may be part of the co1nir
: whole. Chicago and the Illinois river want
8 fourteen-foot channel to the gulf. Pittsbnrg al
4 the Ohio river with Omaha and Kansas sGi,
: and the Missouri river along with the low
river and its 1eVee interests to- the gulf OF Me
- leo all have their wants and they should emit
into league to repeat the methods of the ar
: states combination. = ,E-{.esssI
9 In closing beg to suggest that the Rivers
Harbors association be indorsed by this ascot
j. ton; that an officers federation Of the Tario
q organizations on the different parts Of the Nj
sissippi be formed; funds solicited for engineer
studies as to ultimate possibilities, and then *
l. mulate demands congress and organize, ,
d the congressman in the Missippi valley. into,
working alliance to get the recommendation
above mentioned adopted. e