Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-06-03

aA ONGRESS is the frequent recipient
these days of memorials by various
.n organizations in support Of the Great
" Lakes-St. Lawrence Tidewater project.
HBf%A>A Following is typical memorial from
( s4Y4lChzdB the State of North Dakota, presented
k@@4ssAI by Senator Laid:
80 Whereas it is proposed to make
such improvement in the st. Lawrence
as to make the Great Lakes accessible to ocean
going commerce; and
Whereas this Improvement will in effect bring
the State of North Dakota hundreds Of miles
uearer the worlds markets; and
Whereas there are within the State great re-
sources that lie wholly undeveloped while the
production of all things is diminished retarded
by distance from markets; and
Whereas because our producers and the
consuming public have alike suffered enormous
losses in the last year by transportation shortage
and failure and
Whereas because by reason of these conditions
the transportation situation constitutes an emerg-
ent need; and
Whereas a number of States have joined
In the Great Lakes-St Lawrence Tidewater AS
ISOLATION having as its object the early undertake
ang and completion of this Improvement: There
fore be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatiyes of the State of North Dakota, that the
State of North Dakota is properly associated i'll
the aboye-named organization with its neghbor-
undertaking and that the action Of the governor
in SO declaring is hereby approved and confirmed,
and the participation of this State by the governor
and those who represent him in the council of
these States is approved;
Resolved that the representatives of this
State in the Congress of the United States be
requested to facilitate and expedite in every pos
sible way the prosecution of this undertaking for
the economic freedom of a andlocked continent"
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Tidewater associ-
alton is voluntary association of IA member
states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota Michigan,
Illinois, Indiana Ohio Iowa, North Dakota South
Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and
Nebraska The first three of these states have
aided the movement through state commissions
created by their respective legislatures These
states are today in voluntary cooperative eff
fort attempting to impress the nation and con-
gress with the urgent need of adequate transport
tation facilities at reduced rates. to be provided
by the proper development of our inland water
ways.
The Great Lakes-St Lawrence Tidewater prof.
ect has been discussed for several years! Prog
ress was interrupted in 1914 by the World war
March 2 1879 Senator Lenroot of Wisconsin,
had incorporated into the rivers and harbors act
a provision requesting the international joint COM
mission ito investigate what further improves.
ment Of the st. Lawrence river between Montreal
and Lake Ontario, is necessary to make the same
navigable for ocean-going vessels, together with
the estimated cost thereof and report to the gov
eminent of the Dominion OF Canada and TO the
congress of the United States, with it's recom-
Elendations flor cooperation ty the United States
with the Dominion of Canada in the improvement
of said river
The result is that the engineers appointed by
the two governments have been for some tine
engaged in the making of surveys and the prep
aration Of plans and estimates for the information
of the commission. The commission has been
holding a series of public hearings, at which ma
dional, state, provincial, municipal commercial
transportation, and other bodies interested have
presented their views to the desirability or 9TH
erwise of the suggested deep waterway and the
advantages and disadvantages of combining pow
er development with the Improvement of uaviga-
ton on the upper ST. Lawrence.
Following will be found brief statment of the
main features of the project. The writer holds
uG brief for against it.
There are two phases to the project: One is
the opening up of Great LakesTidewater trans
portation The other is the establishment in con-
nection with the work of great plants for the
generation of hydro-electrical energy to be dis
srbuted over a radius Of about 25O miles, At
present the navigation and power projects are
being considered one
The demand of the Middle West is for water
transportation. This demand in a nutshell, is
that the Great Lakes be opened to the sea SO that
ocean-going craft drawing from 20 to % feet eau
steam from Duluth to the Atlantic and thence
siong the seaboard Of the western hemisphere or
across seas to the markets of Europe.
The Middle West argues this way. The measure
of the country's productiveness depends in large
measure upon the expeditions movement of its
enormous and growing volume of freight This
movement of freight is at present slowed up by
the congested condition of the railroads and east
ern terminals Additional and supplemental
means of distribution are necessary. In short,
the Middle West must be brought within touch of
the Atlantic seaboard without breakage of bulk,
delay and additional terminal charges.
In this demand the "Midlle West" means the
~heart of the nation" with about one third of the
territory population and wealth.
The Middle West holds that great and costly
though the enterprise may be, it is entirely feas-
able from the standpoint of the engineer; that