Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-08-08
TIL Ev " Es.

4
the most practicable and eficacious
for reconstruction OF the levees
Too much importance cannot be
attached to this subject. Time flies
and with rapidity that may outrun
fhe best laid plans, and leave us
again in the lurch before the return
Of another planting or harvesting
| season, unless some action be hast.
ened to render secure the interests
of our river planters by averting the
calamity of another overflow.
The magnitude Of labor and CAPT
tai involved in the task OF rebuilding
the levees, is q proposition too self
| apparent to be denied, but yet, when
weighed in the scale Of future adyan-
tages and reimbursements to our pro
ducing classes and all who are de-
pendent on these for their prosperity,
it will seem insignificant. Once the
work is fairly commenced and prose-
cuted with zeal and energy, the diff
culties will appear less formidable,
and the "lions in the pathway" be
made speedily to succumb to the
stalwart blows Of the pickaxe, spade
and shovel.
No provision as yet has been made
favoring this important work, nor
can we look for much to be done,
until there shall be a more thorough
reorganization of the civil govern
ment to take the matter in hand.
En- attendant, numerous theories and
plans have been preached by minds
Of varied talents and experience,
touching this vital subject. Among
these are some very sensible sugges-
tions thrown out by our contemporary
Of the Aduocate, who in speaking Of
the three parishes, 1berville, West
Baton Rouge and Pointe CoupGe,
with whose interests we are more
Immediately identified than with
those of any other of the river par
ishes,) recommends joint action by
the aforesaid parishes, through their
police jaries. Subscriptions among
those best able to subscribe, and the
faith Of those parishes to DO pledged
for a return of said subscriptions in
after years and in addition thereto,
"a small tax proportionate to the
PROSTATE condition Of the country
are also recommended to be "levied
and promptly collected
Further. "A large amount of the
remaining balance necessary TO COM
plete the work could be raised by
the issue of the bonds of the three
united parishes to the contractors
who could take them with every con-
fidence that the State Legislature, as
soon as it is organized, will assume
the debt upon the part of the State.
"Another valuable means of aid,
is in the manual labor that is due
the parishes from every able bodied
man within their limits upon the
roads and levees. There must be
over five thousand men, white and
black, who each one, according to
laws unrepealed and not repugnant
to the general government, owe three
days labor to the roads and levees in
these three parishes.
"This labor could for the most
part be made available by energetic
measures and the assistance Of the
governing authorities.
"a large sum could also be raised
from communication of this labor upon
the part of those who would rather
pay than work.
The foregoing views strike us as
being quite as feasible as any we
have seen, and if we were to offer
any amendment to them it might
be to recommend (if our State Leg
islature was near its next session
and the work to be done to the leyees
was not of such pressing emergency
that Levee District comprising the
three parishes named, be created by
special act, with Board of Levee
Commissioners chosen from among
the most capable and interested of