The forum. [volume] (Springfield, Ill.) 1904-192?, 1908-07-25
Internal improvement Commis-
sion Makes Report of Its
Investigations.
$40 MILES OF WATER FRONT
SuGGestions Made by Governor Deneen
in Submitting the Report to
the Illinois General
Assembly.


ing the Internal Improvement commits
sion provided that Il report of its in
veStigati0ns and conclusions should be
submitted to the next session of the
General Assembly. Before the con
vening OF that session the report had
been forwarded to the governor by the
hensive recital of the present condi-
ton and future possibilities of devel-
opment of Illinois waterways 1t
showed the entire feasibility of estab-
fishing water communication between
the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mex
leo through the construction of four
terminus of the Chicago Drainage and
Ship canal to the Mississippi river at
st. Louis, by way Of the Despaines
and Illinois rivers.
In transmitting the report to the
General Assembly Governor Deneen adj
dressed to that body a special message
important features, and especially to
that feature of the report which showed
that between Lockport and Utica
distance of 631a miles, there was
descent of 1876 feet, creating water
power aggregating 173,O horsepower
Commenting on this the governors
message said:
"The report of the commission fur
Their points out that with the large
flow of water proposed there can be
developed between Lockport and Uti-
ca 173,O00 available horsepower, worth
at present market prices 500 per an
mum per horsepower. This would be a
valuable source of revenue which,
through proper legislative acllon, could
be secured for the state instead of be-
ing diverted to the use and benefit Of
private enterprises. TO this end | rec
ommend that legislation be enacted
comforting upon the canal commission
erS the powers necessary for the de-
velopment, use and distribution of this
water power, and that no construction
of dams by private parties for the ere
alton OF water power for their use be
permitted without permit, to be
granted by the governor upon the APP
prOval and recommendation of the ca
nal commissioners, and upon terms
making due provision for compensa
ton to the state for the use of any
such water power"
Urges Protection of State.
This feature of the report of the
Internal Improvement commission
later became the subject of legislative
attention in connection with the sub
ject of deep waterway legislation. The
suggestion in Governor Deneens mes
sage to the General Assembly that the
enormous water power to be developed
through the expenditure of public
money should be preserved to the state
'instead of being diverted to the use
and benefit of private enterprises" was
the first recommendation embodying
the idea that the development of wa
ter power could be made to pay for
the construction of the waterway. The
carrying out of such plan would not
only relieve the taxpayers of the bur
den of additional taxation to construct
the waterway, but would provide, free
of cost to the state, a magnificent
commercial waterway and a constant
source of income in the water power
created. amounting to more than
So, 100000 per year.
1t was evident therefore, that, pro
vided the state is permitted to retain
the water power to be created by the
expenditure of public money, the state,
in authorizing the issuance of the
twenty million dollars in bonds, will
be simply loaning its credit without
mourning any real obligation.
Has Miles of Water Front.