Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-12
TER MINALS FOR
ALL RIVER TOWNS
Upper Mississippi Improve
ment Association Asks
State Legislation.
POWER TO ISSUE BONDS
John Barrett, Director of Pan-Amer-
can Union, Addresses the
Convention.

Burlington, Iowa, Sept. 12.-The
second days session of the upper Mis-
sissippi River Improvement associa-
ton resulted in the election of the
following officers:
President-Thomas Wilkinson, Par
Iington.
Secretary. A. Boswell, Quincy,
i'll.
Treasurer j. P. Reckhart, Gutten-
berg, Iowa.
Resolutions were adopted looking
TO a strong effort to secure a law
in each state giving cities along the
Mississippi river power to issue bonds
to build terminals for steamship lines,
such bonds to be outside the debt
limit, it being held that the terminal
improvements will pay for them
selves. This. 1t Is claimed, will create
a great freightcarrying business on
the Mississippi river.
Hannibal, Mo, was chosen as the
next years place of meeting. The
delegates will take a river excursion
TO Keokuk today to inspect the power
dam.
BARRETT TALKS AT BANQUET
At a banquet last night Hon. John
Barrett of Washington, d. c., director
general of the Pan American union,
addressed the delegates. Mr. Barrett
said:
"A serious situation awaits the mid
il, oil ind t..i 7
sections of the United States, in the
approaching completion of the Pana-
ma canal The United States govern
meat is spending a vast sum to build
the canal, but it is spending in com
parison only a trifie in preparing its
harbors and rivers to be feeders and
tributaries TO the canal. Europe is
spending not a sou in building the
canal but it, is devoting millions of
dollars to developing its harbors and
rivers TO capture the trade OF the Ca
nal which we are constructing.
ALL EUROPE Is READY.
European shipyards are crowded
with vessels being completed for the
greater worlds trade which the canal
will quicken. European manufactur,
ers, exporters and importers. are send
ing their scouts to study conditions
of demand and supply and to find new
markets. The shipping and business
interests all o@er Europe have arous
ed public opinion and forced political
/ action.
1T will not only be a sad handicap
but almost criminal negligence to our
commerce to spend over four hundred
millions on the canal aad not a pro
pOrtiOnate amount on the inland and
coast water ways of the country, get
ting them ready for the canal. Japan
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, anC
even little Uruguay, are shaming Us
by their official activity in harbor anc
river Improvements.
We must wake up. We must make
the slogan of the government, Of the
people, and Of our business organiza
tons Get ready for the Panama cana
and go after Pan American com
merce"
LETTER FROM WILSON.
A letter from Woodrow Wilson
democratic candidate for president
received by Colonel John 7. Martin
OF St Louis. a delegate TO the con
vention, was read. II follows.
i am sincerely sorTy that it vii
not be possible for me TO attend tn
meeting of the Upper Mississippi Riv
CT Improvement association. ! an
bound by engagements at the time 0
the meeting from which / cannot non
Orably withdraw
1T would give me pleasure 10 b.
present and 10 express my entire SYN
patty with projects that look toward
the opening up and the systematic
connection OF our great water course
and their preparation for navigation
On great scale. II has undoubted
Is become necessary that We shoul,
recon slider our hole tFaHsD OriatioI
/ in - "a