The Minneapolis journal., 1906-06-12
Rx w. w. Jermane.

.s-
WASHINGTON. June l2-The Lake Car
riers' association took preliminary steps
today in contest to restore to the fed
eraI government absolute control over
the rapids of the 500 river at Sault Ste.
Marie and oust therefrom the Chandler
Dunbar Water Power company. 10 this
end meeting was held before Secreta-
ry Taft, attended by, William LIVING
stone, president, and Fl. d. Goulder,
attorney of the Lake Carriers; Congress,
man Theodore E. Burton, chairman or
the rivers and harbors committee Of the
house; Henry NJ. Hoyt, solicitor generai,
REPRESENTING the department OF Justice,
J and General Alexander Mckenzie, chief
=, of engineers Of the war department.. Al
spoke In favor Of the position taken hy
the Lake Carriers except General MO
Kenzie.
The purpose of the meeting was to
convince the secretary Of war that
great wrong was being perpetrated upon
fhe people of the United States by al
lowing the army engineers to permit the
Chandler-Dunbar company to erect per
manent works in the rapids when the
trend Of events 80 surely showed thae
government would need all Of the Amer.
Sean side of the river for additional
locks, canals and other improvements to
/ take care Of the marvellous develop
! ment of lake commerce.
Imporsant to Northwest.
s'This is the most Important matter
before the government today" said Mr.
Goulder to Secretary Taft; The most
VIII take us at least ten years to COM
plete the Panama canal, and that ten
years after II is completed it will do
we'll to have business amounting to
+ l0,OOO,0O0 net tons a year. The in
crease in NET tonnage passing thru the
! American canal at the 500 In 1eo9 oveE
that Of 1904 was more than 100000
! than the total business of the Panama
canal is expected to be ten years after
completion.
'FThe development Of the northwest
has come from and must IN great meas
IRE depend upon the unrestricted n4avi;:
CATION Of these waters. We need at
once new lock Of greater capacity
than any there now, and preparations
should be made without delay to rega1II
possession Of the river to the national
boundary in order that future improve
ments may not be hampered by the ne
cessity for first condemning and remov
ing such great and permanent works al
the engineers Of the war department are
now allowing the Chandler-Dunbar com
pany to construct there
"The engineer corps holds that the
Chandler-Dunbar company is proceeding
under a revokable license and tthz
when the ground is needed the company
can be removed, but the history OF re
vokable licenses has shown difficulty II
, disturbing the rights under which fixet
structures have been developed.' -
Predicts Big Increase.
MI. Goulder filed brief in which tn
history of the commerce thru the So
canal was fully treated and the dedua
tion made that by 1925 the net tonnagl
to pass thru would be 202,000,000, khere
as last year it was only 44,27O,6o0 ne
tons and the capacity Of the canal wa
taxed to care for it.. ),
The question Of the Clergue interest
was brought up, and the water they US
forpower purposes fetched into the lime
light. It was developed that Clergu
and Chandler-Dunbar have no connec
VThen,O said Mr.. Burton, eve cal
treat them separately. The Clergue IN
terests are there, and are acting unde
a law of congress. These other peo2pl
6sy nS viii f 6e and this fsfh IS the tms R
government to act and keep them froIe
Getting such feothold as to make /
{mpossible to get rid of them. ,"
RI viii say in behalf Of the LAX
Carriers" said Mr.. Goulder, that
we had known then what we do now
the Clergue people would not hay
gotten II, even under their drasti
Fight over Islands. IS
The solicitor general said his depart
ment was at the present time engage
on behalf Of the interior department
in trying to get a couple Of island
away from the Chandler Dunbar CON
pany, islands out in the rapids, and
which the company laid claim, as
did to the land along the shore, and VI
der that to the riparian rights to th
International boundary A lawsuit owe
this had been decided against the go1
eminent in the district court at Gran
Rapids, and had been appealed by th
government to the United States coul
Of appeals at Cincinnati, where 1t
now pending. ..t.. =, ~. .-#
Mr.. Goulder asked the secretary t
EnasnonY T1sn{oyc Dya1cn he 9nnrediaufe