The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-22
LLOYD ON WATERWAYS.

LLOYD ON WATERWAYS.
Hon. James T. Lloyd, representa-
tive in congress from the First dis
trict of Missouri, addressed an audi
ence of representative citizens of Han
nibal in the Commercial club rooms
in that city Monday evening. He first
discussed the question sof larger
army and navy and the ship subsidy
bill. opposing both. He also discussed
the subject of the conservation OF
natural resources and the restoration
of the arid lands of the United States, i
and stated that it would probably take
an annual appropriation of S4O,Ooo,o Oo I
to accomplish the desired results, and |
that the present demand of 100000 /
900 was for the first appropriation. /
1.-THE demand for good roads" said ne,
comes from every part OF the country
and it is safe to say that if good roads I
were constructed in every part OF the
land within the next ten years, 1t
would mean an additional approprla-
ton of s4O,0o0,Oo0 for many years
The speaker then turned his attention
to the subject of river Improvement,
and, among other things, said:
There is no section of the coun-
| try which ought to be more interested
/ in river improvement than the Mis-
/ sissippi valley, and it is subject OF
i worthy consideration by every worthy
4 citizen who has residence along the
banks of the Mississippi, the Ohio or
i the Missouri especially. These three
great rivers are the great arteries
through which the commerce of this
] valley must reach the sea if river
Transportation is to be SO developed
as to carry the commerce of the Mis-
sissippi valley by river instead OF
rail There are some very diseourag-
ing features, however, in connection
with this improvement. At the outset
wish to say for myself, that am
decidedly in favor of deep water nav
igation in the Mississippi river and its
tributaries, and unless the people di-
rect to the contrary, shall cast my
vote and use my influence in congress
in favor of the larger appropriations
for the improvement of the rivers OF
the country, and especially for the
Mississippi river and its tributaries,
including the upper Mississippi, In
which you are personally concerned.
"One of the most troublesome things
we have TO meet is the declining traf-
fic on the river There has been ex-
: pended in the last thirty years about
s11 100000 on the upper Mississippi
river, and yet, according to statistics,
the traffic on that upper river has
decreased IS per cent in the last TWEEN
2 ty years. If conditions continue, 1t
: would seem that it would only be a
). few years until there would be no traf-
> fic at all.
The government expenditures on
the upper Mississippi river are now
about 100000 per year, and yet the
L traffic on that upper river is only
t about 100000 tons, and If the freight
:, received is fifty cents per ton, the
# amount of revenue from freight traf
!. fic would only be about s250,000 pei
. year, yet the government has expend
= ed twice that sum in maintaining q
! channel in order to secure that traffic
"In the last thirty years there has
been expended on the Mississippi river
q south of the mouth of the Missouri
:. more than s1O0,000,000."
n The speaker quoted from a report
/ of the St Louis Merchants Exchange
j for 1908 to the effect that by stric
= attention to business and bv improv
ing their terminal facilities and theil
- collecting and distributing arrange
ments. the railroads can today make
profits at rates which are no longel
profitable to steamboats, A compari
- son of rail rates and water rates from
>, New Orleans to upriyer points abov'
= Baton Rouge, and of rail rates ant
- water rates from st. Louis to down
y river points below Cairo was sui
mitted in proof of this statement |
was suggested in the same report tina
until terminal facilities at the water
edge are much improved there is lii
- tie to be gained by any increase O
~ draft in the river greater than neces
nc sary to float barges of the draf
I'D found most economical on the Obi
III and in Europe. In confederation Q
ny these statements Mr.. Lloyd called a.
te. tention to the statistics for river an
rail traffic at st. Louis for the year
wv 19O6-7-8. From the Upper Mississippi
ry river:
m In 1906 ......... 31,140 ton
he. In 1907 ........... 21,440 ton
Ia In 1908 ............ 1925 ton
he On the Lower Mississippi river frol
st. Louis south the tonnage was q
ISIS follows.
of In 1906 ...... 106,67O tor
he In 1907 ............. 91,225 tor
IN In 1908 .............. 7o.1e5 tor
lat The total traffic BY rail from S
1rt Louis during the same years W;
De from 24,OOOooo to 100000 tons Pr
~. year