Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-12-01
RIVER BOOSTERS
MEET At QUINCY
Members Of Upper Mississippi River
Improvement Association Open
Convention.
WILL REVIVE TRANSPORTATION
President Wilkinson Sounds Keynote
Gf Session in Opening Address
To Assembly.

Quincy, ILL.,, Dec. Revival Of Mis-
sissippi river traffic. coordinated with
railroad transportation, was urged by
Thomas wilkinson of Burlington, Iowa,
president Of the Upper Mississippi Riv-
er Improvement association in sound
ing the key note of the annual con-
lvention Of the organization when 1t as
sembled here today. Delegates were
/ present from Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Illinois, Iowa and Missouri in response
/ to the formal call of the association
+ and the gathering also attracted Fisi-
! tors from practically all Mississippi
valley states.
| Efforts Of the convention, which is
to last two days, will be directed to-
ward finding means of establishing
Through traffic from the head Of navi-
cation just below st. Anthony Falls. to
New Orleans AS sample of what
could be done the delegates are to
view new steel self-propelled barge
with which 1t is hoped to start this
traffic.
President Wilkinson reviewed the
work which the association has accom-
plished since its organization in
Quincy 10 years ago and said that
congress might refuse to appropriate
vast sums for river improvement in
definitely unless there is a speedy and
important increase in steamboating.
This can be accomplished in two
ways" he added. First, by building
steamboats, and setting them to work;
! second, by constructing adequate
wharves and river terminals"
He quoted statistics and recent adj
, dress by Champ Clark, speaker of the
national house Of representatives. to
show that the middle west is falling be
hind the seaboards in the race for com
Imercial supremacy Of the United
States, and said that the opening of
the Panama canal, with the eonse-
Iquent readjustment Of trans continent
Ial railroad freight rates, had been one
iof the determining factors in this sit
+ uation. He added:
"The exigency of the situation. which
threatens the prosperity and stability
Of every industry in the valley, calls
for full utilization of the only relief
available, 1t is nothing short of i'd
otto waste and extravaganza, yes. it is
ALMOST criminal. to allow these rivers
10 flow on forever unused by COM
imerce. They must be made to work
. and work hard
TO meet and overcome the hard,
cold business fact that eonfronts them,
Ithe communities and shippers on the
| river, for self-preservation. must go
/ down in their pockets and put up the
| money necessary TO provide every ia
/ cility required, 10th on the water and
| On the shore. for full development and
4 use Of river transportation, or they
/ viii lose their golden opportunity. and
/ eventually die of dry rot
II ut is unbelievable, that the manu-
Il facturers, jobbers and shippers OF this
/ great Mississippi valley. will not avail
| themselves Of this most valuable asset
| which nature has placed within their
\ reach"
Il Mr.. Wilkinson deplored the acts Of
i many communities which have given
/ to railroads and other private inter-
| ests rightsethat prevent free public ac-
cess to river fronts. He pointed ont,
\ however, that these rights could be re-
l covered and quoted a number of court
/ decisions to substantiate this point
( Communication was given to the work
1 of the United States engineers on river
I improvement and to the waterway
plans Of Governor Dunno of Illinois
for establishing a through river chan
4 mel from (Fhira gu IN Alton