The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-11
NAVIGATION TURNS
ON IMPROVEMENT.
CITY WAKES UP TO IMPORTANCE
OF ACTION.
Upper Mississippi River Improvement
Association, Which Comes to Mime
apolis in October, Means Much in Way
of Deep Water from Falls to Mouth
of Illinois

of Illinois.
Indifference of the Twin Cities as a
whole to the coming convention of the
| Upper Mississippi River Improvement
association has aroused the civic pride
of Minneapolis and it will shoulder the
duties Of the occasion with zest.
Attic the latest Of the river cities to
receive the benefit of government ap-
propriations for improvement of the
Mississippi, as the new head Of naviga-
ton Of the Mississippi it is going to
play, a worthy host to the delegates to
what is considered the most important
convention that the city has entertained.
Thomas Wilkinson of Burlington,
Iowa, president of the association,
spent Saturday in conference with A.
l.. Croker about the program of the
meeting which is to be held Oct. 90.
Mr.. Wilkinson had just arrived from
the e., Pacific coast, and fastened home.
He said. eve are going to have
held in the Mississippi valley north Of
st. Louis. Minneapolis business men,
from business motives, have taken up
the matter and will support the con-
Writes of Plans. g..
In a letter from Lyman E. Cooley,
secretary of the Internal Improvement
Commission Of Illinois, and Intimately
connected with the Chicago drainage
canal construction, Mr.. Croker Re-
ceives commendatory notice of the
movement to which the association is
devoted.
81 have your notes asking for any
!hlng helpful that I may have on tap
in connection with the Improvement Of
the upper. Mississippi and the conven-
ton to advocate to the same,'' writes
Mr.. Cooley. "In my talk at the Trany
Mississippi congress at St. Paul and
the Quincy convention I was full of the
matter, as had gone into the Missis-
sippi river problem so deeply in con-
nection with my studies for the water
power development at Keokuk.
Canal the Thing.
"I then concluded there was no rea-
son why the Mississippi from st. Paul
to the mouth of the Illinois should not
be canalized for a depth Of nine to
twelve feet. In fact, I believe it is
more susceptible Of improvements than
the Ohio river, and the policy has been
definitely adopted there of nine feet,
with a probability that it will be in
me that the problem: especially for that
part of the Mississippi above Keokuk
was much simpler than for the Ohio,
and you have a resource in the reser-
voirs for stimulating the low water
flow, which cannot be availed of to any
great extent for the Ohio. I believe
you should keep on with your channel
Improvement for depth of six feet,
but I, would at the same time have ex-
haustive studies undertaken for these
larger depths. In the meantime, what
you will do on the six-foot Improvement
will! be contribution to your ultimate
policy.
Deep Water Needed.
cit is unfortunate, however, that
permanent structures to depth of five
feet should be undertaken, like the
locks between your city and St. Paul
and like those existing at Keokuk.
l am in hopes, however, that some <ul-
innate depth for the locks be insisted
upon at the Keokuk vater-power i'm
grovement, when the same shall be un-
dertaken, and also for the proposed
canal at Rock Island. It is important
that the ultimate policy be kept in mind
In regard to permanent works, if you
are to avoid having your possibilities
blighted. Beyond such advice as is
local to the upper Mississippi, am ad.
Vocating. general waterway policy for
hensive plan the upper Mississi ppi
would find place.' ~
Call to Meeting.
The call issued for the convention
by President Wilkinson reads as fol
lows:
10 the mayors Of cities and towns, and
all commercial organizations in the
! upper valley of the Mississippi; all
otlcers and members Of this associa.
I ton and others interested:
The next annual meeting of the Up
| pei. Mississippi River Improvement as
| ssociation will be held in the city of
Minneapolis, Oct. 9-l0, 1906. The head
quarters of the association will be at
the Nicollet hotel.
The convention will assemble in the
mayors reception rooms in the city
| nall, tuesday morning, Oct. 9, at $3.50
clock. You are respectfully request
ed to be represented at the meeting of
the association in Minneapolis.
Every city and town, and all COM
merc1al, industrial and agricultural or
carnations, in the upper valley Of the
Mississippi from, St: Louis north to the
entitled to representation. Each civic
or other organization is invited to send
three delegates. Delegates are expect
ed to present proper credentials show
| Ing their appointment and the name of
the organization they will represent.
The names of delegates should be sent
| to the secretary as early as possible aft
er their selection, prior to the meeting
of the association.
It is important that this meeting
should be the largest and most .represen.
tative of either Of the four preceding
meetings this association has held. It
has required time and labor to prepare
the preliminary work necessary to
establish the claims Of the people for
the support of congress in obtaining the
permanent Improvement Of the upper
Mississippi river. Surveys and esti-
mates of the United States engineers
will be ready for presentation to the
next session Of congress-, and the asso-
citation should be prepared to take the
question up with the rivers and harbors
committee Of the house. early during
the coming session, in order that our
claims may be recognized and appro-
priations obtained to commence the
work. The sentiment Of the people
voiced thru the Upper Mississippi
River Improvement association will be
potent.
We must show that the association is
supported by all towns and cities and
all Of the commercial organizations in
the upper valley The support Of the
press is Of greatest Importance and
fcI l. 49,