Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-06-12
SEEK OPINIONS
AS TO RIVERS
BOOSTERS WANT LEGAL ADVICE
AS TO NAvlGABiLlTY OF
THE oEs MONIES.

Des Moines. June 1t.-Des Moines
people interested In developing the
resources Of the Des Moines river will
opinion Of unquestioned authority con-
corning the acts Of congress on the
navigability, in law, Of the Des MONIES
river, with special reference to the
power the government would now have
to force changes in bridges and dams
without expenses to the United States
Efforts will be made also to obtain
from the same source an opinion as to
how it would be possible for the Unit
ed States, in providing for the I'M
provement of the river by locks and
dams, to help pay the cost by the sale
Of water power privileges at these
dams. These two opinions are deemed
the Indispensable hinges upon which
the! proposition of a survey of the Des
Moines river by government engineers
swings, according to the report sub
mitted by A. C. Miller, member of the
national waterways. drainage and con-
servation commission, to the board of
directors of the Commercial club.
| This report tells of Mr.. Millers con-
ference with Major Richie of the corps
of United States engineers. who will
have the survey in charge, provided 1t
| Is ordered. Nose H. Cohen, former as
sistan city solicitor, is of the opinion
that the Des Moines river is navi-
gable stream and not hampered by any
| Legislative acts.
Water Power Big Factor.
CAS- 1 understand it, said Mr.. Mil
Ter. "the United States can apply the
right of eminent domain for the pur-
pose of acquiring sites for locks. dams
and other structures with the view of
| improving navigation, but for no 9th
er purpose in this connection. 1t is for
us to determine, also. whether the
state of Iowa can acquire these rights
and then transfer them to the United
States to help in the work
1T is believed by the engineers that
water power rights can be established
and if the government had the right
| to dispose of them, after they have
| been improved and developed by the
construction of the dams that will be
necessary, that the sale of this power
would very materially reduce the cost
of the improvement necessary to es-
of the Des Moines river means primar,
lily that the people in it's vicinity will
receive the larger share of the benefit
whereas the expense is to be borne by
all the people of the country.
ut must be brought out in my re-
port wherein all the people of the
| United States will be proportionally
benefited by this improvement. We
must sho- in dollars and cents what
effect the Improvement will have on
the present freight rates of adjacent
railroads, and how much commerce
would be likelv to be actually carried
upon it and to what points the COM
/ merce would be likely to go, bulky,
Iunperishable freight being the class it
is presumed would prefer the river.
! Effec. Viii be Wide.
with the statistics we have before
us, secured from various sources, / be-
|lieve it will be comparatively easy for
(us to show that an immense tonnage
4 would be affected.
| I'VE will undertake to compile a
record of the daily gauge reading at
points In Les Moines and lower down
on the river for as far back as we can
get records, and to furnish full infor-
nation, as is possible, regarding the
quantity of water discharged by the
river, especially at extreme lowstages.
/ Go will be asked for historical and
/ dc iptive sketch of the river with
relation to its Improvement for navi-
| cation with special reference to Its
physical characteristics and to the at
titude of the state of Iowa towards its
Improvement by the appointment of
conservation commission and other
wise. A definite statement as to what
Des Moines and other cities along the
river are prepared to do in the wa!
of providing public levees, wharyes
and terminal facilities must be made.
ST have exhausted every sourcei al
: hand in securing these points and be-
lieve I have prepared an arSumen
that will. induce the authorities to or.
i der survey of the river in the neal
: future"