The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-11-17

Poehler of Henderson and Ray
mond Ward Of Blakley
i Hon. A. l.. Poehler of Henderson
presided over the meeting. The
call. which has been published in
The Free Press, was read by Secre-
tary H. Diers of Blakely.
| Mr.. Poehler then read Major Fran
els r. Shunk's report as follows:
"a survey has been made and a
project has been recommended by
the district engineer officer for the
construction Of reservoir at Lac
qui Parle which would provide
navigable channel at least four feet
deep from the mouth to Morton,
Minnesota, and permit the develop
ment of considerable water power,
and also tend to the reduction OF
floods. The proposed Improvement
would also be of great benefit 10
the navigation of the Mississippi
river at ST. Paul and below. The es-
timated cost is $1,375,00O. In View Of
the expense involved the Board is
unable to concur in the recommends
alton of the district officer, so far
as it's present information extends.
"The board is of the opiuion that
the improvement of the rive" be-
tween Chasha and the mouth to
provide a channel five or six feet ii
oeIth, at a comparatively small en-
pense, would demonstrate whether
or not the expected commerce would
n IL II, Js.6s
cations as to the effect CT a four
foot channai to Morton. M .rma-
tim as to the desirabiiiy OF such
Improvements is requested, also as
To the accessibility and proprIety Of
the United States carrying out the
reservoir project at cost of ST.
31E OOO.'
Committee on Resolutions.
Chairman Poehler appointed a
committee of seven to act as mem.
bers Of committee Oh resolutions
These members were: C. o. John
son, S. d. Works, A. B. Kaercher,
Senator II. Benson, Secretary j. Fl.
Diers, Louis Betz and l.. A. Frit-
sChe. These were instructed to
draw up resolutions during the noon
hour.
Remarks BY kaercher.
A. B. Kaercher, president OF the
Minnesota River Improvement and
Power company, outlined what the
government engineers had done so
far and, as we'll as explained tho
importance of this convention. Tie
success of this proposition rested on
the action taken at this meeting.
He spoke as follows:
When the committee that went to
Washington consulted with the army
and navy board. this board wanted
to know all about the Minnesota
river and valley, and the people,
conditions and statistics OF every
kind, so as to aid them in the work
of making survey or to judge if a
survey would be worth while.
Real Purpose of Meeting.
Mr.. Kaercher then introduced the
real purpose of the meeting and told
of the present conditions which the
league has to face, what was rer.
quired of. this league to make the
project success. ar-,,i
He said: 1T is up to us at this
meeting to decide whether or not
the recommendation to congress
for the expenditure of this money to
improving the Minnesota river is
worth while. 1t is up to the league
to devise a scheme and means of
getting the proper evidence before
the board of engineers that will
meet at Washington on November
10. We must prove that this dam
at Lac qui Parle is worth $1,35O,OOO
and that it will be used when made.
Now then, the board of engineers
requires us to submit a proposition
or plan of cooperation and to pass
en- act, which I think will be one
of the most important in the state.
The questions that confront us at
this time in the first place are
these: Several years ago there was
a survey for the reservoirs at Ira
verse and Big Stone Lake. This
was turned down and it was the eff
forts of this league which brought
up again this matter of building res
ervOirs and sending committee tol
the state legislature and they were
influential enough to bring about ,ne
passage of a new survey, having in
mind the construction of a reservoir
to prevent the overflow, in cOnnec-
ZION WIFI water power COHlpdHy anu
melted the interest of the people.
Plan of Organization.
Through this league we devised
this plan of organizing water pow
er company composed of people of
the Minnesota River valley at a
capital of $1,OOO,0OO.
This company was organized I'M
der the laws of the State of Mime
sofa. This organization carried out
the idea of cooperation and thought
that this was the only way that
the matter of improving the river
could be accomplished. Later the
company was capitalized at $4,000
900 with $1,000,O00 preferred stock
at per cent interest,
"The government will not carry
on. this work alone" he said. We
have three advantages to be gained
by the improvement of this river:
LIST, navigation; End, reclamation of
overflow lands; 3rd, water power.
1.-THE idea OF the water power is
to get revenue to help carry the
expense of improving the river and
the construction of dams. 1t is real
ly a small matter. If we can get
the people of the Minnesota River
,,o1lo,- int m tho nnccibilifinc