Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-03-12
The Future of the mississippi.

St. Louis Globe-Democrat: There
need be no fear that the greatest river
in the western world will be sighted
permanently The influences i'll the
last congress that have visited upon
the river a policy of disparagement
and pushed it into the background have
aroused protest and a sentiment GER
tain to tell hereafter. The term of
the house has expired. another con
gress, the Goth, has come into exist
ence. and it is already fOreshadowed
that the improvement of the Mississippi
and its leading tributaries will be ham
died in way to compel just treat
ment. Something has been gained as
matters stand. Attention has been di-
rected TO the system by which rivers
and harbors appropriations are manip-
uIated so as to benefit chiefly the routes
from the lakes TO the Atlantic. The
Mississippi valley will not consent to
be so sacrificed again. Several west
ern senators have given notice, Sena-
tors Allison and Cullom among others.
that the Mississippi river must have
fair deal IN the list of appropriations
which will be acted on at the close of
the next congress. AT intervals of at
most two years the subject will come
up again. Meantime. the improvement
of any inland channel, including the
lakes, must promote the eventual i'm
provement of the Mississippi river, the
great trunk American waterway to the
oceans
In his closing remarks, intended to
belittle the Mississippi, Chairman Bur
ton gave some figures that. upon analy-
sis, refute his own favOrte argument
that the present limited commerce of
the Mississippi is a reason why the
spending of money upon it is inadvisa-
BILE He said in his final report to the
house: I'VE have been spending on
the Mississippi river within the last %
years more money per annum than is
expended by the government of Ger
many on the Rhine, on which there is
| Il traffic of between 30,000.000 and 40
100000 tons. The total on this stretch
of the Mississippi (between ST Louis
anu SdiIOj ulOppNb VII III ~ Wi -
| from 100000 tons to 100000 tons
Why is there such great tonnage on
| the Rhine? Because sufficient depth
of channel is assured at all seasons.
Boat builders there proceed with GER
| tain assurance that their vessels incur
Ino risk from low water. The MisSis-
sippi is greater than the Rhine in itself
its affiuents and its prospects. 1t
| reaches into more fertile and populous
regions. stretching from Pennsylvania
to Montana. If the Rhine's tonnage
now approaches 40,000,000 year, how
great will be that of the Mississippi.
with similar fixed facilities in the
sufficient in itself to justify all that is
asked for the Mississippi.
/ Internal improvements, as a policy,
are given better footing by the bill
| just passed. The appropriations eX-
coed $S5,000,000, the average of the
past having been $19OOO,OOO. In a
period of great prosperity it is wise TO
make this increase. Every dollar jul
diciously spent on the rivers will re-
turn many fold in business expansion
and the regulation of freight rates.
Rivers and harbors bills will not be
considered of minor importance here
after, nor will their various provisions
be accepted without close examination
The subject has been shaken up in a
way that points to the coming of a new
era in intelligent and liberal Internal
improvements. If money has ever been
wasted on the Mississippi. the fault is
not in the river nor its opportunities
for improvement. Right methods with
he mighty stream will bring results
as sure as those that Mr. Burton com
mends in the Rhine He has supplied
a vital fact, though with his own mis-
duplication.