The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-12-16
$500, 900. 900 IN IT.
MEANING THE CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR OF
MISSISSIPPI .LEVEEs
st Louis Republicaa

st Louis Republican.
According to carefully prepared estimates re-
Gently published in the Memphis appeal, the
river front on tho Mississippi requiring levees
measures 1870 square miles. but by proper 10.
cation of the ine ouly 1000 miles of levee
won Id be needed, which would permanently
redeem from iDundation 6n area Of 271J0
square miles. OF this 10. 100000 grow
cotton, 300 600 acres grow sugar, and AGO.
600 acres are adapted to various grains. These
IL 76O coo acres would be worth at the very
lowest calcu alton, SIS per acre, or $l44 COO 600
If only half of the redeemed lands re-
duced to cultivation they will produce anuu-
ally not less than 100000 bales of cotton,
S25 100000 pounds of sugar. LOCO COO OUO
gallons of mofasses and 40 00o. .0CU bnshefs of
corn--worth, at present prices $500 .00o, coo.
The bill recently Introduced by Mr. Young,
of Tennessee, asks for $l5 COO 600 to be used ia
the construction OF levees-the money to be
repaid, principal and interest, by tax on the
redeemed lands and on the freig ht carried by
river steamers Let us suppose that instead Of
S,5 900 900, the estimated cost of the evses was
500. 900. 900, not cent of which was to ever
find its way back to the treasury by the pre-
posed taxation wonid not the Investment pay
| sufficiently we'll to satisfy the most s1rCpulous
political economist Lands, now prsctically
va'ueless, would then be worth $500 600 900,
and their annual products 8,e60, Geo. Wat
better gold mine coold there he than this 7 1t
will be observed that wa-dO not inclEde the
vast increase of revenue indirectly resulting
from the permanent improvement of naviga-
/ tfoD of tho naffnnaf river By ea!aJSing and
stimulating all kinds of business in the great
valley. Our figures are contiRed exc c'usiveiy to
the direct pecnnisry results of property con-
structed sygteru of levees iD the region subject
to overflow. Ia the light of these fgnres, the
persistent opposition of Eastern senators and
representatives, and the press of that section,
to this inoalculably important work becomes
not merely unreasonable, but contemplate.
Hundreds of millions have been spent in the
improvement and protection of the rivers and
har bors on that portion of the Atlantic coast
lying NOR of the James river, aud yet when
lesa than fifty mlliona is asked for su object in
which every State west OF the Alleg5aRies and
east of the Rocky mountains Ia interested, the
politicians and journals of New England and
vicinity denounce it as "s gigantic swindle."
drains half continent and whose valley fur
nishes larger variety of valueble products
than can be found anywhere else, in the same
extent of territory, on earth, is q local sffaI"
only-and its protection and Improvement
"belong to adjacent States and not to the gen.
eral government" He'll Gate and Harlem
river Podunk hsrbor and Huiiabailoo sound,
are national; the Mississippi aud all of it's at
tachments. local!
This sort of argument has shaped Con gress.
ion al legislation long enough, aud there are en-
couraging indications that il will soon give
place to logic based on common Justice and
common sense. The Mississippi levees will be
built and the obappe of the Mississippi pnt in
proper condition, at the expense of the federal
government-afi opposition to the contrary
Notwithstanding. Sectional prejudice and
jealousy may delay and embarrass this con-
summation but they caonot prevent it.