Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-10

nually. OF which $4,000. 900 tons now
move by rail and 800. 600 tons by wa
teT- \ study OF the classes Of freight
mat go TO make up this total indicates
ina there are approximately 1000. 900
additional tons OF freight that ar the
present time could be and should be
carried by water and that would now
he SO carried If there were terminals
at which II could he rapidly and eco
ncmically handled and boats in which
| II could be cheapy moved.
With reference to the second ques-
ton. the attitude OF the upper river
/ cities toward terminal improvements, il
II only stating fact 10 say that most
OF them have begun TO realize the eco
nomic necessity of putting the idle
river to work. The river mas long
been a rate basing point. even in its
/ idlest periods, but its effect upon rail
and water combinations on traffic
. passing through the Panama canal
/ will amount 10 very little Indeed.
/ quite agree with the statement of the
! secretary Of this organization. in a re-
I cent circular letter. to the effect that
{ the operation of the Panama canal
VIII impose an actual handicap upon
I Mississippi valley shippers unless the
/ water link 10 the sea is rendered eff
hcient and is actually operated
The Upper Mississippi River I'm
proyement association. whose activi-
ties were responsible. in part at least.
for the great betterments already
made in the navigability of the upper
river. has now turned its attention to
the terminal question and has been
engaged in educational work along
this line for the last two years Last
summer the field secretary of the or
ganization Travelled up and down the
Mississippi between St Louis and Min
neapolis. urging upon commercial or
CARNATIONS. city councils and business
gatherings. the necessity of early and
adequate terminal improvements The
Greater Davenport committee has
spent much time and money in similar
missionary work. The effects of this
continuous agitation are becoming ap-
parent There are few cities on the
upper river in which a healthy. intel !
ligent sentiment in favor of the re- |
clamation of river fronts and the con- :
struction of terminals. is not being de- |
.velCped. There is now much larger |
understanding of the fundamental |
proposition that no matter how deep 1
and wide the rivers channel may be 1
made. no matter how numerous and 1
how perfect the aides 10 navigation !
that may be installed, no matter what
type OF freighters may be built, the
river will never carry a large volume
OF freight until the cities themselves
build and equip their own terminals.
To some of you gentlemen this may
seem like placing undue emphasis up
on clear and simple proposition.
But the emphasis is necessary for 1t
has only been of comparatively re-
cent date that the general public in
the section under discussion has been
willing to admit that the lack of term
inal facilities has had anything to do
with the lack of freight movement. |
The railroads. the federal government,
the Mississippi river steamers all have
been blamed. The federal government
is doing its share on the upper Missis-
sippi river; whatever the railroads
may have done in the past. they are
now in position to exercise effective
obstructive tactics: the present Mis-
sissippi river steamers are not ideal
freight carriers but have been abused {
beyond their desserts. The truth is {
the cities of the upper river are just !
the point where they are viii {
ing TO admit that the decrease in
river freight tonnage has been largely {
heir own fault. They have bartered !
away their river frontage and their {
riparian rights, they have turned $
heir levee into dumping grounds for /
,ity refuse and anchorages for river T
unk, they have refused 10 provide I
storage facilities for even the small '
amount of port to port freight carried
" the river steamers and laboriously
md extensively loaded and unloaded I
~ deck hands. But nowadays they C
ire holding tightly to what is left of ;
heir frontage. they are cleaning up Z
heir levees and those cities which. by T
eason of lack of frontage, or lack OF II
money find themselves unable to con- z
truct industrial terminals. are at least o
the building of docks
nd warehouses. 4
Let us see what the situation is in a
he principal upper river cities. In Is
he progressive city of Minneapolis, "
18th a population of 301 .40S, soon TO Z
g at the head OF navigation on the I
conditions are excellent. II
he federal government has appro- V
rated funds to complete the high
am which will make navigation pos o
Ible TO the foot OF the Washington u
venue bridge and the legislature has Il
uthorized the city council 10 issue II
goo. 900 in bonds for the acquisition ci
nd Improvement of municipal term OF
Ials OF these bonds $4,000 have in
ready been issued and sold and the III
oney Is being spent by the city in CO
-ecting a sea wall preparatory 10 the "
Sc in level that will accompany the al
,mpletion Of the dam next summer pi
he installation OF handling devices tr
nd the construction OF municipal el
arehouse will follow, answering in