Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-27
FIVE LOCAL men
LEAVE WITH 100
Rock Island WflI be Well Repre-.
sented at Conference With
Secretary McAdoo.
SLOGAN "ON TO WASHINGTON
Pass Resolution at First Meeting
of Mississippi Valley Water
ways Association.

Rock Island will have five rep
resentatiyes with the delegation Of
more than 100 representing cities
from Minneapolis and st. Paul and
from cities on the Missouri, Illinois
and Ohio rivers, to confer will
/ President Wilson and Secretary
McAdoo on river traffic expansion
Thursday and Friday.
a letter received by Sydney j
Roy. office secretary of the Mis-
sissippi Valley Waterways associa-
ton, urges every manufacturing
and business concern in every
shipping point of these great wa
terways to send representatives
and axe an active interest in Sc
curing the attendance of delegates
from their firm or city, thereby not
only aiding their business, but the
city and country as well.
At the meeting of more than SOC
business men of the valley at the
Mississippi Valley Waterways as
ISOLATION held in st. Louis 10 days
ago, the delegates unanimously de-
cided to ask the business interests
of the Mississippi valley to send
representative to Washington 10
call on the president and Mr.. Nc
Adoo, directr general Of the rail-
ways, ana there to urge that the
Mississippi river and its lRvigable
tributaries be Immediately used by
the government in the transporta-
ton of freight as war measure.
"On to Washington" is he slogan
adopted at the convention
Firms expecting to send dele
gates are asked to report at once
names of the representatives who
will go to Washington, to Sydney
]. Roy, Hannibal, Missouri, secre-
tary of the association. All dele
gates are requested to arrive in
Washington, Thursday, May so, in
time to attend a conference of del
egates to be held at eight o'clock
on the mezzanine floor of the New
Willard hotel. Delegates are also
expected to report Immediately up
ION arriving in Washington to Mis-
sissippi Valley Waterways Associ-
alton, mezzanine floor, New Will
lizard hotel.
Resolution Drawn.
The following resolution was
drafted by the committee on reso-
lutiOns at the convention last
week.
In view of the fact that for the
pasRtwO years the railroad freight
congestion has been without para!-
lei in the history of the United
States: that the needed movement
of loaded and empty freight cars
east and west has been beyond the
ability Of the railroads to handle;
that considering these facts, a di-
version of a large portion of the
constantly increasing volume of
freight to the waterways leading to
the Gulf channels would greatly
relieve, II not altogether remove,
tn eeXisting congestion making i'm
mediate uses, as a war necessity,
of that great inland waterway sys-
tenn, the Mississippi river and its
tributaries; that the people Of the
Mississippi Valley, anxious to turn
all Of their resources Of reserve
labor, housing, food, fuel, raw ma
terials, and industrial capacity in
aid Of the government, as a war
measure, require for this purpose
ability TO freely use all means of
transportation available to them,
more particularly the water grade
rail lines, and the navigable water
channels to the Gulf, thus opening
the way as a relief from the con-
gestiOn on the east and west rail
roads of a now largely unused and
congested channel TO deep water.
through which the products needed
abroad may be moved with ease
and expedition to our armies in
France and our allies.
Therefore, be it resolved that
the Mississippi Valley WATERWAYS
association, in session today, do
hereby recommend to the United
States railroad administration that
a boat line be established at once.
and put into immediate operation
upon the Mississippi river between
st. Louis and New Orleans, and
that the director of rail-
roads authorize and instruct that
thrOuh rates be established and
and through billing instituted bv
all connecting railroads with this
boat line, with the understanding
that freight be so routed as to Sc
cure the minimum rail haul and
the maximum water haul; and that
the construction OF adequate ter
minals by the several communities
for the coordination of rail and
water transportation at all neces-
sary points be speeded up to the
utmost to enable freight to he
handled without delay, and cars
Inloaded promptly. Further. that,
as soon as possible, this boat serv-
ice be extended to cover the unner
river and the Ohio
Missouri and Illinois rivers. ana |
other tributaries.
BE it finally resolved, that the
adoption by congress of the inland |
provision of the rail- |
'oad bill is a constructive step in !
he readjustment and expansion of |
he transportation economy and |
var efficiency of the country"
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