Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-05-05
PREDICT PASSAGE
Of WATERWAY BILL
BY LOWER HOUSE
MEASURE HAS ALREADY PASSED
SENATE AND is SCHEDULED
For EARLY ADOPTION BY REP
RESENTATIvES OTTAWA IS
PlTNtlY INTERESTED.

The administration waterways bill |
intended to make connecting linR
between the great lakes and the guilt
which has been passed by the senate
and which may come up for final ac
ton in the lower house of the legis
ture next week, viii mark a stage O
waterways development unprecedent
ed in this section OF the country pro
ponents of the project say. Little op
position is expected in the house.
Illinois will have a route tappinl
districts having rs per cent OF all
population. These points viii be az
eessible to deep waterway transports
ton from the ST. Lawrence to tn
Gulf Of Mexica, via the Weliand an
500 canals, the great lakes, the Chi
Gag River, the Chicago drainage cana
and the Illinois waterway as the cor
Meeting link with the Illinois Rive
and the Mississippi.
Canada has undertaken work OF I'm
proving the Welland Canal to a dept
Of twenty-four feet. The new locks
the 500 are twentyfour teet--the Chl
cago drainage canal is twenty-f0uI
feet. The minimum depth Of the Hi
nos waterway will be eight feet, bu
this depth can become greater if dc
sired.
General Route of Waterway.
The general route Of the Illinois
waterway commences at the waite
power plant of the sanitary distric
at Lockport and extends to its juno
ton with the Desplaines River, thel
via the Desplaines River and the Hi
nois and Michigan Canal thrOug
Joliet, then through the Desplaine.
River, again direct to the Illinois Rive
to a point at Utica.
What the Illinois waterway will d.
Tor Illinois is indicated by what tn
Erie Canal did for New York, water
ways leaders say, This short and Ia
expensive link would open up tW,
waterways across the State Of Illinois
one westward to the upper Missie
sippi, via the Hennepin Canal. and tn
other southwark via the Illinois Rive
to the lower Mississippi, the Gulf
Mexico and the Panama Canal
Cities along these two waterway
would be greatly benefited, but tn
benefits would by no means be cor
fined TO the cities that lie directly OF
their banks The interstate commerce
commission has power TO compel rail
WAYS to connect their tracks with tn,
docks of water carriers and to join ii
the making of through routes an
Joint rates thus making il possible
for cities in all parts OF the state t.
share in the cheap water transporta
ton.
$50 Feet Wide at Bottom.
The channel of the Illinois water
way where practicable will be not les.
than $50 feet bottom width The MN
imum depth of channel in the eart'
sections will be not less than eigh
feet and in the rock sections not less
than ten feet The minimum deptI
over mitre stills of the locks Will not
be less than fourteen feet ana the
minimum width OF locks Will be no
less than 10 feet and the minimum
length will not be less than coo feet
1t has Deen estimated that the WORN
OF completing the Illinois WaterWa'
could be accomplished in five or sly
years, and that about the seventh
year the earnings from water power
would begin to come in. An eslf
mated cost, as shown by prospectus
follows:
Preliminary waterway. fourteen fee
deep, with locks tweniy-four feet deep
construction, only $l4,3lS9S6.
Developing 157 800 gross horse
power, power house equipment. etc
complete, $3,700,O00.
Right of way. $40 000.
Net interest account during con
struction, S64l,014,
Total, 500 900 ,00s.
Bio Revenue Assured.
The power actually available to
distribution in electric current to Gus
toners is taken at 10000 horse pow
or The annual revenue when all TIT
mower is marketed is given as $3.50
400 This is assumed to exist at thu
beginning of the tenth year, or three
wears after the power is developed
A financial statement shows that tn
eNtire amount paid by the state Wi
have been liquidated by the seven
teenth year, or the eleventh year ate
the construction is completed. From
the eleventh year on there will be
profit.
As navigable waterway the com
pleted channel will be under fedora
control.
The constitutional amendmcn
passed by the voters in the 1908 cleo
ton nroyided for the conservation o
a natural resource of the State o
nlinos-a resource that grows NOR
valuable as the years go by,
The construction, maintenance, cor
troll and operation of the waterwa
shall devolve upon the department @
public works and buildings, subject t.
conditions which the government ma
impose.
.t