Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-03-04
URGE FREE TOLLS
FOR COAST SHIPS
Davenport Business Men OPP
pose Change in Law Exempt
ing American Craft.
HEAR PLEA FOR TERMINALS
President Wilkinson Of Upper River
Association Points Need OF
Imnne date Action.

The Davenport Commercial club, the
Greater Davenport committee and
other organizations interested in keep
ing American waterways free to
American commerce, at a special joint
meeting yesterday afternoon adopted
the following resolutions:
Resolved. That the commercial
bodies assembled express them
selves as being unalterably OPP
posed to the repeal or modification
of the provisions of the Panama
canal act relating to free toll for
American coast-wise commerce or
the repeal of that section of the
act referring to the use of the canal
prohibiting railroad owned ships
from being operated through the
canal or elsewhere on American
waters.
The resolutions followed an address
by President Thomas l.. Wilkinson of
the Upper Mississippi River Improve
ment association, who. urged all cities
on the river to own their Ievees and
construct modern river freight termi-
nails as means of saving hundreds of
thousands of dollars annually in
freights.
President Wilkinson's address was
in part as follows:
Davenport shippers will be saved
$4,000 annually, consumers will be
saved 81 to 81 per ton on every ton
of hard coal and So to So on every
1000 feet of lumber and on every ton
of canned goods from the Pacific coast
and 81 to SO per ton on sugar and cot
fee when the city has provided itself
with adequate terminal facilities and
river traffic has come into its own on
the upper Mississippi.
City Must Own 1t.
1.-The terminal with its entire equip
ment must be owned, operated, and
administered exclusively by the mu-
nicipa:ity, for the free and impartial
use of all carriers whether by water
or by rail, subject only to such rea-
sonable charges, as will cover amor
tization end operating expenses.
1.-THE physical lay out and planning
of the terminal with it's mechanical
appliances, should be placed in the
hands of an expert terminal engi-
neer. It should be planned with far
look into the future.
1.-The government work in the river |
between st. Paul and Minneapolis, |
will be completed this year. So that
early in 1915 Minneapolis will have
become the real head of navigation, |
the largest boats will be able to tie |
up at its wharf, and the city will have
the record of being the first to pro-
vide itself with modern port terminal |
facilities. What Minneapolis has
done, 1 hope will soon be followed by |
similar action on the part of every
city On the river.
"Our association has for several
years urged the different communities
to secure their river frontage for ter
minal purposes. This they should do
as soon as possible. Unfortunately
about 80 per cent or more of the water
fronts of the country are now owned
,r occupied by railroad or private bust
less.
Improving River.
I'm response to the demands of our
association, the general government
s expanding a large sum in the per-
nanent improvement of the upper
liver. An open channel will be pro-
'ided all the way. Locks and dams
II any interference with the flow of 5
7ater in navigable stream are inn !
'ediments to navigation, causing de-
ay, and, therefore, should not be toll
rated where avoidable.
when its improvement is complet- a
d, the river will be a through route q
Z transportation from the twin-cities Q
D the gulf ports at New Orleans,
valuable to all OF the commerce of S
s valley. However, no matter how