Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-12-07

Edch city anu ORGANIZATION IN
group OF tho Illinois Chamber OF
Commerce has been requested to send
the following resolution to the gov.
ernor.
Whereas, An appropriation has
been made and funds are available
for tho completion of the Illinois wa.
tcrway, giving water transportation
from the Great Lakes TO the Missis.
sippi river;
And, whereas, great benefits will
accrue to the people Of Illinois through
the completion of such waterway;
And, whereas, because of the wide
Npread unemployment now prevailing,
the prosecution of the work upon this
waterway woull seem mort timely.
Now, therefore, ne II resolved, that
The Chamber Of Commerce urges the
Hon Len Small, governor OF the state
of Illinois. to expedite the work upon
this project IN every way practicable,
and
ne Il further resolved, that tho
ORIGINAL of this resolution be forward
cd to the president Ct the Illinois
Chamber Of Commerce ard to the
chairman of tho waterway committee
Of said Illinois Chamber Of Com
merce.
Much debate has been oCcaoioncd
by the question Of whether $2O,00000o
would be sufficient to build a water
way. The general conception seems
to he that the waterway must include
water power, and while the power az
an auxiliary will eventually come. 1t
Is not paramount that II be created
Immediately, nor Is It necessary to in
stall the power plants with the build
Ing of the channels, locks and dams.
Authority for the statement that
there is money enough to build a
waterway Is taken from estimates and
statements Of Isham Randolph. engi.
neer OF the Chicago sanitary district,
and corroborated by NJ. G. Barnes,
present state waterway engineer.
"The question has also been raised
as to whether this waterway would
pay operating expenses. For those
not familiar with the question, the
government barge line that was put in
operation between Cairo and New Or.
leans may be cited as fair example
Of what can be expected when the
route is opened from Chicago to the
Gulf Of Mexico.
Whether the Illinois waterway will
make II possible to send ocean going
vessels from the Great Lakes into the
ccltral states and then to the gulf
depends upon the size Of the ship
While the United States government
through its river and harbor depart
ment, advocates the building Of a six.
teen foot channel. it is conceded by
engineers to be impractical to con
slider such a proposition This means
the system virtually will be a barge
waterway; not a one or two barge
channel but large enough to accommo
date a fleet of boats that can be oper-
ated by one tug boat, the cargoes in
one fleet being about 5000 tons. This
would equal the capacity of about ten
loaded train with an average car ca,
pacty Of thirty tons. The locks now
under construction at Marseilles are
10 feet wide, 600 feet long and 46
feet deep, and of such capacity that
such a fleet of barges could be floated
into the lock at one time.
Thus 1t Is that no man, whether he
live in Galena or Waukegan to the
north; Chicago, Kankakoa. Danville
or Paris to the east; Cairo to the
south East St Louis, Alton, Quincy,
Rock Island and Sterling to the west,
or Springfield, Decatur or Blooming
ton in the center Of the state, will be
denied the privilege Of taking adyan-
tage Of the saving in transportation
costs and reap a direct benefit also
from the Development and increase
of all lines of business in Illinois
Instead Of paying tribute to the
eastern and western sea coasts, let lis
take advantage of this opportunity
and make Illinois the commercial and
financial center of the United States
and eventually Of the entire world
For VIC have within our confine--in-
GLIDING the surrounding states in the
Mississippi valley-ability to produce
and manufacture a sufficient amount
of things necessary for the conduct
and sustenance Of tho life Of nearly
all the people in the world"
Matte,