Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-10-19
Commercial Club to II.
Plan New Activities

Believing that the operation of the
La Toilette seaman's act, which be-
comes effective November 4, 1915.
will result in laying up many lake
carriers and thus seriously affect the
transportation problems Of North Da-
kota grain groves, ]. P. Hady of
Fargo, secretary Of the North Dakota
Federation of Commercial Clubs,
asks the Bismarck Commercial club
to join with other organizations in
the state in the adoption of q set Of
resolutions requesting that the act
not be made operative for a period
of at least sixty days following the
date originally set. Such action orig
inally was taken by the executive
committee Of the public affairs COM
mittee Of the Commercial club Of
Duluth, praying that the secretary Of
commerce withhold the enforcement
Of the La Toilette act for sixty days,
or for such a period as will assure
to the shipping public uninterrupted
service from the vessels operating
upon the great lakes.
The Duluth resolutions set forth
the fact that Minnesota, Wisconsin,
North Dakota and South Dakota,
Montana and the western provinces
Of Canada are now harvesting one
OF the greatest, If not the greatest,
crops of grain which ever has been
produced in that section; that a very
large part Of this grain moves east
ward, for local consumption or ex-
port; that the railroads of the north
west have heretofore found it difficult
to furnish equipment to move even
much smaller crops from the grain
fields to the primary markets OF, Du-
luth. Minneapolis and Winnipeg, and
have been and are now unable to fur
nish equipment in which the enor-
NOUS crops now being harvested can
be moved promptly beyond said pri-
mary markets via all-rail routes. It
Is pointed out that it has always been
necessary to ship large quantities OF
grain over the great lakes, relieving
the congestion of traffic on the rail
roads, and permitting Of cheaper and
more expeditions handling, and that
there has been a great increase in
the volume Of iron ore shipped from
the head Of the lakes to the eastern
markets, all of which. are indications
that the demands on the Great Lakes
Shipping will be heavier this fall than
ever before. It is contended that the
operation OF the La Toilette act, re-
quiring a material increase in the
crews of all the great lake vessels
will necesitate the laying up of many
boats, as none Of them now have &C.
commodations for such large num-
bers of men, even were the latter
available. The result will be that al
the very time when every hull on
the inland seas will be most needed,
. majority Of them will be legislateG
out Of commission, and it Is claimed
that the grain-growng states will suf-
fer severely.
The board Of directors Of the Bis
marck Commercial club will take
this matter under consideration at its
weekly melting, Tuesday ewing.
oLAt0 Engineer j.. W.. DIlSS mas
kindly consented to prepare for pub
LEGATION by the Commercial club e
monograph covering the coal, clays
and other valuable mineral resources
Of central and western North Da'
kota. This paper will be used effec.
lively in connection with the clubs
campaign for industries which a
make use of our raw materials:
cheap fuel and unusually economical
electric power, thus creating the
much-desired local market for labor
both skilled and unskilled. The clut