New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-01
l.


The condition of the levees along inc
banks of the Mississippi river from tn9
passes to Cairo, is something OF vital I'M
portance to dwellers in the valley, and
affecta the manufactures and commerce OF
the entire country. The wealth of Louis
lana almost hangs upon the strength OF the
embankments designed to separate planta-
tions from the flood. Confined to the chan
mel, the great river is the servant OF man,
bearing the burdens of freight and opening
the great West to the sea; uncontrolled, IL
sweeps over the fairest lands, bringing pow
erty, death and destruction. The great
want of the South is to have the Mlssls-
sippi with an open mouth and secure levees'
The work is so important and stupendous
that it should become the charge OF the ma
tional government. The States are not aoie
to bear so great an expense, and then there
is q lack of unanimity in planning for gen
eral protection levees. Real estate owners
away from the river can not see Why they
should be taxed to protect the farms OF
other citizens, and they consent slowly.
Individual exertions 60 for little, except to
stop breaks in an emergency. One man
may levee his own front securely, and yet
be flooded by water which comes through
the place of neighbOr above. The levee
commissioners are useless without funds.
1t is believed they judiciously expend the
amounts contributed by the State, but that
is inadequate, and they can do no more In
several instances lately, sufferers have ap-
Piled for aid from the commissioners which
could not be granted. As there is not, and
has not been, enough funds to do half OF
the work needed, the duty Of deciding
what work should be done first is one Of
great delicacy. In dealing out hard bread
when there is not enough to 60 round, the
hungry men are bound to complain. As an
answer to many questions, and to explain
the difficulties Of the commissioners, the
following has been issued:
NOTICE TO PLANTERS AND OTHERS INTER
EsTED.
LRvER COMMISSION OF ENGINRIRs,
New Orleans March 29, 1876. )
The Levee Commission of Engineers feel
it their duty to inform the planters and
riparian proprietOrs generally that the
three-mill tax imposed upon ell property in
the State for levee purposes is already ex-
hausted upon the construction of levees or
dered. And this falls short of providing
for levees which the commission consider
of imperative necessity. But they could
not, and can not now order, in accordance
with law, more levees than the probable
revenue of the three.mill tax would or will
pay for. They were therefore forced, in
1874 and 1875, into the very disagreeable
and thankless task Of discrimination as to
the locations of levees, and are now forced
to remit the repairs of levees to those i'm
mediately interested. The situation was
and is remorseless.
The commission concluded, in 1874 and
1875, that it was advisable to close the
almost innumerable small breaks and dan
gerous points instead of spending all the
available revenues in closing large crevasses,
such a. Bonnet Care and Morganza. By
this plan more land was protected and
more property saved.
The point Of this communication to the
planters aud riparian proprie:ors is that
there is no provision in Law and NO means now
to meet the expenses of the repairs of levees.
This commission is therefore now obliged
to call upon the planters and riparian pro.
prietors generally to form local and district
combinations, and by individual subecrip-
tions, pro rata, based upon the value of
their respective properties, provide the
means to make these repairs themselves.
There is no help for it. They must make
their own repairs.
One thing is clear, the State of Louisiana
alone can not protect itself from inundation.
The only solution is the assumption by the
general government of the construction of
leveee. This commission has, collectively
and individually, made all efforts possible
in that direction.
There is yet some hope that the present
Congress may come to our rescue.
In the meantime, we must do the best we
can with the means available to construct
such levees as most needed.
By order of the commission,
j. G. LONGSTREET,
Secretary,