The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-04-21
Delegates to Saint Louis Convention
Tell City Commissioners What
is Required for keokuk
to Get Any.
POWER DOCKS NECESSITY
lew Boats OF New River Traffic VIII
Not Stop at Ports Not Equip
ped with Power Cranes
and Tracks.

This forenoon at 10 o'clock the city
council heard the reports Of the dele
gates 1t sent to represent the city at
The big convention held in st. Louis
last week, of the Mississippi River
h Waterways association.
L. A. Hamill, John Tumelty and Ira
( w. Wills were the delegates from Keo-
.uk and they were real part of the
hig meeting of FIVE hundred delegates
from cities scattered from st. Paul
10 New Orleans and from Pittsburgh
&c Omaha
The reports of the Keokuk delegates
TO the mayor and council were ora
torial if form, and each delegate in
turn spoke on some phase of the river
Improvement work with the city COM
Nmissioners as an audience.
The reports were Informative and
all led to one conclusion which has
been known to experts and economists
for a long time, and now Is becom-
ming concrete by the orders as to
where boats and barges will and will
stop--that every city ON the river
which expects to have freight handled
by river and steamboats, and barges
stop there must build concrete dock
with power cranes to handle freight
hnd trailroad tracks permitting the
icranes to lift freight between car and
barge without any muscle work.
1 The Necessity for Docks.
John Tumilty said the enjoyable part
tof his work at ST Louis was represent
hing Mayor Lofton at a banquet given
lthirty-five mayors.
Docks with power cranes to move
freight was the topic on that occa-
fsion, and the necessity of real power
Proposes million dollar bond issue
Ito pay for the docks she must build
Ito get in on the new river transporta-
Hon-
i Bond issues rather than direct tax
to raise funds to build the docks
seemed preferred generally.
! A number of cities are moving along
this line, including Alton, St. Louis,
Cairo, and others.
4 MIR. Tumelty was told that $4,000 to
SIC, 900 would be the cost of proper
hook here-also that the boats Will
PASS up entirely and not stop at any
tcwn not equipped with power crane
hooks and railroad tracks.
Some Practical Conditions.
1.-THE first thing we ought TO decide
is the question of location for our
keokuk docks, and then work from
khat point on intelligently toward
proper terminals" said Ira w. wills.
"Fhere never was an investment
dreamed Of that would pay the re-
turns that will come from using the
mississippi river for freight traffic" he
laid. and figured $4,000 saved in
freight on one trip Of barges loaded
Eeith sugar.
For the first time lower river cities
like New Orleans, are willing to help
k-ther cities and give up trying TO grind
HEIR own private axes, he said, and
chicago is now much in favor of the
Eaississippi river freight project.
( efNeyer in the future will the rail
EoaGs be able to throttle the trafilc
En the Mississippi said Mr.. Wills,
referring TO the compulsory joint
Through rates between railroads and
Eoat lines now in force.
4 Keokuk Was There.
L. q Hamill gave an account of the
General work of the st. Louis conyen-
Zion and its work.
"The association is virtually a re-
Rival of the work of The Upper Miss
lssippi River Improvement associa-
lion. which did so much previous of
L910," said MI. Hamill, "and the lower
River people saw the wisdom of ask
ing the upper river people to join
taem.
4 IN,fN
byith authority of that big convention
af FIVE hundred men TO ask for what
b the lust due of the states along the
Eiver''
"The Keokuk delegation got in on
Ayerythine. and were always listened
10 when they talked"
There is much freight going south
IF ST. Louis by barge now, and the
Ehippers are taking to water transpor-
Eion rapidly, Mr. Hamill said and told
III the project to have barses ON the
hpper Mississippi by 1920 TO carry
Iron down and merchandise up the
liver.
ut behooves KecAuk as one Of many
kitfes to get on the job concluded
Mr.. Hamill. ''for It will make keokuk
she gateway for everything raised IN
iowa that goes south.
Public Spirited Citizens.
Mayor Lotion told the three dele
gates the city appreciates their pub
pic spirit in attending the convention
Eat their own expense.
B The delegates were appointed
Permanent committee to advise the
kity council ON all matters connected
EIith the new era of river traffic, the
mayor said.
The city Of Keolzuk is fortunate
In having three men who have so
Enucn interest in this new move
nent, the mayor said, and thanked
hem.
ne loss to the nation on the tele,
Iapn se.slce since the British gov