The Green Forest tribune., 1912-05-10
DEEP WATERWAY RESOLUTION
If Desired Measure Passes Congress Mississippi River Will be Gateway.

MtSSISSiPPl RIVer VIII De 0dteWdys Western Newspaper Union News Service.
 Washington. - Following is given the resolution drawn up to be pre- sented to congress for the improve ment of the Mississippi valley water way. If the measures passes as desired it will mean much to Arkansas and Louisiana and other states.
 The resolution is as follows:
 Whereas, The recent and still pre- vailing floods in the Mississippi river of unprecedented volume and desruc- tive force rave overtopped or broken many levees, causing loss of life and sweeping away property in crops, live stock and buildings of immense value, the loss of which has brought distress and ruin upon numbers of citizens of the Mississippi valley; and Whereas, This river is a navigable water of the United States. it's control rests as moral responsibility upon the government; and
 Whereas, There is well consider ed and fully matured plan for the con- trol of this river from Cairo south to the Gulf of Mexico, which has been adopted by the government and upon which vast sums have alredy been spent
 $8,Ooo,ooO for Levees.
 Therefore, it is urged that the con- mission after having this work in charge for the government be instruct ed to redouble it's efforts to carry the priect to completion; and that the work may not be hampered for lack of money, it is further urged that con tinuing appropriation of $S,000,000 per annum, or so much thereof as can be wisely and successfully be expended in revetting the banks and protecting lands from overflow by building levees, and deepening of the channels by removing sand bars and Instructions from the river be authorized by the congress.
 And, whereas, There has been no project adopted for improving the Mississippi river to depth of IA feet between grafton and Cairo, Illinois, ane whereas a commission of engi- neers is now in existence appointed by the secretary of war under provis- ion of the bill (R. R. 206S6, Pub. Doc. 264) to report on a waterway from Lockport, H., to Cairo ,Ill. and Whereas, There has been referred to the said commission a project for the improvement of the said river be- tween the mouth of the Illinois river and Cairo, which project involves the building of two dams with locks there in, upon which project no report has | yet been made.
 Asks Early Report.
 "Threfore we pray that the secre- tary of war be urged to cause the said commission to hasten it's work and to report upon the project referred to it as above stated, giving their conclu- sions as to it's practicability and cost; and
 Whereas, The said commission has made report on that section of the waterway between Lockport and Graf ton ct the mouth of the Illinois river; and
 Whereas, The governor of Illinois, On behalf of the people oi his state, has protested to the president of the United States against the project which the said board proposes for that stretch of the Illinois river between Utica and Grafton; and
 "Whereas, The president of the United States did in his message to Congress, transmitted December 21, 1911, ask that the report of the said board be referred back for reconsider ation, we urge that the sum of $1 ,000,- 900 which was appropriated in 1910 be made immediately available for work in the Illinois river and, in ad- dition thereto, that a further sum of S1,000,000 be now appropriated for the carrying on of the work of improving the Illinois river and creating a A. foot waterway therein of width not less than 200 feet; and
 Relation to Panama Canal. "Whereas, The Panama canal is fast approaching completion and will soon be opened to the commerce of the world; and whereas, this highway of the nations should be as fully avail able to the people of the Ohio, Mis- sissippi and Missouri valleys as to any other portion of our common country; and, whereas, the said Panama canal can only become available to the said valleys as the result of improved channels in the Mississippi river and the streams tributary thereto;
 "Therefore, we urge upon the con- gress it's adoption Of a project for a waterway from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico of a navigable depth