The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-09-15

lars. When delivered at Nauvoo the
charges had been changed to sum
/, over seven dollars. The customer
paid the excess and charged it back to
the Noelke-Lyons company. The lat
ter has taken up the matter through
the Commercial Exchange of Burling-
ton, but thus far without satisfactory
result
| Cannot the steamboat managers per-
ceive such policy will not enhance
/, the popularity of shipments by boat
and that it tends to Undo that which
has been gained through years of dis
cussion and effort to build up public
sentiment in favor of river navigation?
Wide Range Of Rates.
A similar experience was that of
Mr.. George a. Turner, of the whole
sale fruit house of w. W. Copeland,
Mr.. Zaiser of the wholesale grocery
house Of Burt-Zaiser of the Wholesale
house of Burt-Zaiser Co., and DR.. Chas.
| P. Frantz, president of the Burlington
Auto club. These gentlemen and
their families, shipped their supplies
by river and went into camp at Bluff
Park. on vacation. They shipped
their camp equipment and supplies on
a White Collar line boat, but on the
return trip they paid the Steamer
Dubuque Of the Streckfus line about
three times as much on a less amount
/ Of freight. The Hawk-Eye does not un.
| dertake to determine whether the par
! ty paid too little for the down trip, or
too much for the up trip, but the wide
margin OF difference Is striking, and
is suggestive that unless the river
traffic is systematized and standard
lied voluntarily, there is likely to
arise an agitation to have the river
traffic placed under the supervision OF
the interstate commerce commission.
At present that body has no jurisdic-
tion over water traffic, excepting in
case OF joint rates with the railroads.
Need Of Wiser Policy.
It Is not the purpose of The Hawk
Eye to magnify the Importance of the
few instances 1t has mentioned, that
have recently come to its notice, nor
put undue emphasis upon, possibly,
comparatively trivial transactions that
: may have been merely mistakes of
judgment; but as long-tim cham
pion OF river navigation, and still de-
sirous to see the great river utilized
in the highest interests Of commerce
and trade, and the development of
great industrial enterprises in the
4 Mississippi valley. 1t respectfully
urges steamboat managers to take
more conciliatory attitude coward the
public, from whom the river patronage
I must come. Without entering into the
merits of the controversy about the
flow Of water being retarded below
the Keokuk dam, the steamboat people
are manifesting an antagonism toward
the great hydro-electric power at Keo-
kuk that will not enhance popular IA.
vor for steamboating. That power
and all its industrial possibilities to
the people of the Upper Mississippi
Valley, is of too vital Importance to
. them to induce complaisance upon
their part to any movement to destroy
or cripple that Invaluable enterprise
PopuIarize the River.
The thing to do, in the interests of
all, by our citizens and the steamboat
companies is to popularize river traf-
fic. The river cities should afford
every needed facility for the landing
and loading of passengers and freight
The Hawk-Eye has urged this policy
r and will continue to urge It, its efforts,
: and the efforts of all the friends of
2 water travel and traffic will be Grip
\ pied and made of little avail IL steam.
/ boat managers do not treat passen.
]. gers with civility and shippers with
!. fairness and equitable rates; or If
: drunkenness and gambling are tolerat.
9 ed on river craft or the laws of the
o states bordering the river are violated
d and their administration defed. The
d river men have 1t in their power to
e make their business popular and pros.
l. porous. Why not do it2