The Ordway new era., 1921-06-03


WllNfBmS>A Following is typical memorial from
HHggS%llA5dq the State of North Dakota presented
FI by Senator Ladd:
%EAa whereas 1t 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
nearer the worlds markets; and
"WheIeas there within the State great re.
sources that lie wholly undeveloped while the
production Of all things is diminished or retarded
py distance from markets; and
whereas because producers and the
consuming public have alike suffered enormous
iosses III the last year by transportation shortage
and failure; and
whereas because by reason of these conditions
the transportation situation constitutes an emery-
ent need; and
whereas a number of States have ioined
in tie Great LakesSt Lawrence Tidewater AS
ISOLATION, having its object the early undertake
ing end completion of this Improvement There
fore be it
'Resoved by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatlves of the State of North Dakota, that the
State of North Dakota is properly associated in
the aDoVe-named organization with its neighbor-
ing Commonwealths in pressing to advance this
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 DOS
sible way the prosecution of this undertaking for
the economic freedom of landlocked continent"
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Tidewater associ-
alton Is a voluntary association of IA member
states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota Michigan
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio Iowa, North Dakota South
Dnkota, 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 transpor-
tation facilities at reduced rates, to be provided
| by the proper development of our inland wafer
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, 1919, Senator Lenroot of Wisconsin,
had Incorporated into the rivers and harbors act
a provision requesting the international joint COM
| mission "to investigate what further improve
ment of the st. Lawrence river, between Montreal
and Lake Ontario is necessary make the same
navigable for ocean-going vessels together with
the estimated cost thereof and report to the gov
ernment of the Dominion of Canada and to the
congress of the United States with it's recon-
n,endations for cooperation by 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 nave Deen Tor some time
engaged In the making of surveys and the prep
nratiOn of plans and estimates for the information
| of the commission. The commission has been
holding series of public hearings, at which ma
tional. state. provincial, municipal. commercial,
transportation, and other bodies Interested have
presented their views to the deslrability 9TH
erwise of the suggested deep waterway and the
advantages and disadvantages of combining pow
| er development with the improvement of naviga-
tion on the upper st. Lawrence
| Following will be found brief statment of the
main features of the project. The writer holds
NO brief for or. against it.
| There two phases to the project: One is
the opening up of Great Lakes-Tidewater trans
pOrtation. The other is the establishment, in con-
| nection with the work of great plants for the
generation of hydro-eectrical energy to be dis
.rbuted radius of about $50 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 q nutshell is
that Great Lakes be opened to the sea SO that
ocean-golng craft drawing from 20 to 25 feet eau
steam from Duluth to the Atlantic and thence
along the seaboard of the western hemisphere or
j across seas to the markets Of Europe.
The Middle West argues this way. The measure
of the country's prOductveness depends In large
measure upon the expeditions movement Of it's
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.
ielay and additional terminal charges.
| In this demand the Middle West means the
aheart Of the nation" with about one third OF the
territory, population and wealth.
The Middle West hol1n that great, and costly
though the enterprise may ~ it b entirely feas-
ible from the standpoint q ~ sgs1aeef; thst
& &: d,