The Cairo bulletin., 1912-12-26
STATE WILL TRY
AND SAVE THE
ILLINOIS CANAL
Immediate Steps Must Be Taken {,
Rehabilitate Two
Waterways.
REVERT TO THE GOVERNMENT
Legislature Will Be Asked to Ar
propriate One Million TO
Hold Them.
REVERT TO THE GOVERNMENT

partment of Justice at Washington
after discussion and investigation
lasting for several months. today
| notified the commissioners OF the
II inois and Michigan canal that inn
mediate steps must be taken by the
state 10 gehabilitate the old water.
lway between Chicago and LaSalle
or else the Department OF Justie,
would begin action to enforce tn.
governments rights in connection
with the waterway. Notice to this
Iesfect has been served upon the state
lof Illinois through. the canal com
Iirisaioners in two opinions: one, by
I, Assistant, Attorney General w. R
Harr,. and :the.s.. other by. Attorney
General .Wiekefsham.. J. The attitude
lot the, Federal. government toward
fine state. eenee1ning s The present
condition: ofs::the canal. has been
Iearly. stated 1. in'@ two, letters ffoia
he. department of. 'justicei,..'
':.:The .canal' :commlsaioners have
anticipated. some aetlon-of this klna
5n, !iheS part =,;ofi tRe, Federal govern
rent: .for.. severa,,;. $;.months..'' said
President. '.W;&':' 4, 4Rosesfeld. "ani
lutte recently: Al final; conferenca
vas. held ,with;ths,. Attorney; General
n an effort, TO: arrive at clear IN,
ierstanding. It now appears : ;hai
nothing Will satisfy: the. Fedora
government except prompt compli-
nee with its demands
1T Is possible that the STATE
night meet these demands by Tie
expenditure of several hundred
thousand in rehabilitation work, but
n view OF the fact that for a slight
additional cost the forks and aqun
lusts OF the canal could be en- arged
0 meet the increasing demands oi
rattle and the shipping public, the
commissioners believe that the
reatest good TO the state would re-
ult from following out their orig
nal plan, announced some months
go. of making the l. and M canal
accommodate the same size boats as
he Hennepin.
IF the canal is enlarged and inn
roved, thds Complying with the
overnment demands and at tho
anne time putting the waterway On
modern transportation basis, 1t
ill be extensively used Shippers
ave already informed the commits
toner's that in the event of i'm
royements they VIII send approxil
lately 100000 tons through the
anal annually. The revenue on,
his alone would be sufficient to pay
ack to the state within or years,
appropriation OF $1,000, 600
ghich would be required to make.
he engagements.
''The state of Illinois has q choice
# app-opriating about 100000 fer
technical compliance with the gov.
rnmen, demands. such as rebuild
ng the present locks and auseducjs
nd restoring the original dimen-
ions of the present channel, or of
ppropriating $1,000, 900 10 enlarge
hese so that they viii pass bargcs
I four times the present tonnage
n the event that the state should
all 10 appropriate any money for
ehabilitation or enlargement, the
federal government win then de
nand that the state of Illinois re.
tore to it all the canal lands grant
ID and remaining unsold, and also
eturn all moneys received from the
ale Of original and grants. ont Of
which the cost of constructing the
anal was betrayed In plain fig,
Tres, this must be taken to near
hat land valued at approximately
81 100000 must be returned TO the
Dederal government together with a
ash reimbursement in excess of So
100000.
On the other hand, if the legis-
ature will this winter appropriate
900, 600, the canal can quickly
De put upon revenue producing ba-
sis. the waterway can again com.
pete with the railroads, and the
state will be pl-elag itself In posi-
lion to a low its commercial inter
ests to make usee of the most i'm
portant link in the Lakes-to- Gulf.
Route soon after the opening of tn,
Panama canal