Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-02-26
ENTHUs slAsTIc BOOSTERS or
NAVIGATION ON DEs MONIES
DEvIsING WAYS OF AIDING GOV
ERNMENTtTo IMPROVE. STREAM
E. j. MOORE MADE
PRESIDING OFFICER
REPRESENTATIVE FROM wA7-
ELLo COUNTY is PRESIDING AT
DELIBERATIONS OF CITIZENS
FROM TWENTY LIVE TOWNS.

Nearly a hundred live enthusiasts
OF navigation on the Des Moines river
are assembled at the rooms of the OF.
tumwa Commercial association thia
afternoon and are taking an active in
terest In the monster waterways con-
vention. The meeting was called to or
der at ] O'clock by Joseph Dain, chair
man OF the waterways committee of
the association, and Il. j. Moore OF FL
don, representative from Wapello
county In the state legislature was
made temporary chairman. Gels Bots.
ford, secretary of the Des Moines Com
mercial association, Is serving as TEN.
porary secretary. The delegates from
twenty towns along the shores of the
river are bubbling over with enthusi-
asm for the Improvement of the river.
and the chief characteristic Of the
gathering is the desire to spend time.
energy and money in aiding the gov
ernment to improve the stream with
the ultimate end in view of maxine IT
navigable for freight and passenger
traffic. The permanent organization Of
the Des Moines River Improvement as.
ISOLATION Will be perfected at the meet
ing this afternoon,
Moore Opens Session.
In his preliminary remarks to the
convention, Temporary Chairman u.
j. Moore said:
Mr. chairman and Gentlemen of tha
Waterway Convention:
This convention should he a so,,rce
OF great satisfaction to the pioneers oi
waterway Improvement, marking as II
does another step toward the reaIiza,
ton OF their hopes for the utilization
OF one OF natures greatest gifts to tho
people OF Iowa, the Des Moines river,
Ihose who by their persistent efforts
are responsible for what has already
been accomplished are deserving Of
the greatest praise and, should theiI
plans be realized, they will be entitled
to place on history's page.
do not claim to be pioneer. but
rather convert and my conversion
dates back to the last session Of the
legislature when had the honor I'd
represent this (Wapello) county in
the general assembly.
had lived on the banks of the Des
Moines all my life but 1t never occur.
red to me that there might be a possi.
bility Of making it navigable. And 1T
was only by the urging and the infor-
nation given me by my friends, Il. n.
Thomas of Ottumwa, and Mr.. Miller
Of Des Moines, that I was induced to
Investigate the subject
When I found what was being done
In other states, as for instance, that
the state Of Illinois had appropriated
$20,000,000 bonds for the improve
ment Of the Illinois river and that the
state Of New York was paying 500 900
year to a commission to survey their
rivers, then I decided that it waa
time for Iowa to wake up, and | tried
to get a liberal appropriation to make
the survey which the federal govern
ment is now about to make
The legislature was perfectly will
ing to appoint the commission but
they appropriated but very little
money. The reason lay in the fact
that the average member was unin.
formed and sceptical Of the project.
The water wagon" subject was more
familiar to most Of them than the
water way subject.
One OF the good results which
foresee from this meeting will be the
arousing of public interest and tha
active cooperation of the various
legislators from the various countiea
LHISIcStEu Ill luo ll0AL RSUSTdI as
sembly. By their combined efforts wa
will be able to get through necessary
legislation.
Just because the government is go.
ing to make the river nayigable does
not mean that there will be nothing
for the state to do. There win be
a part for the state and also part
for the municipalities to look after.
With the building Of dams will
come the question of water power and
its development and SALE This should.
be looked after by the state. And 1t
will be necessary for the cities and
towns to provide suitable wharfage
and facilities for the handling Of
freight. Therefore see to 1t that your
representatives in the next legis-
lature read up a little on the subject
of water and it's uses.
have always laid special stress
upon the subject of water power, be-
cause I am convinced that through