Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-07-17
THE LEVEE QUESTION.

ofurebuiIding the line Of levees along
the fronts Of Desoto. Tuniea and Goa
homa counties. the very erroneous no.
tion prevailed, 1t seemed, that few
hundred thousand dollars would do
the work. Provision was made there
upon for raising 100000, that sum
being considered ample for the pur-
pose. If the amount had been
doubled, Il would have about bit the
mark. Il seems that the projectors Of
the scheme had very imperfect
information as to the extent Of the
work required. The 100000 which
was provided has been spent,
and well spent, for the work done is
only a few thousand under two
millions Of cubic yards. The new
levees built are no where less than
two feet above the highest known
water, and have ample base and crown
width. They are in fact, far more
substantial than any leYees ever built
heretofore In this District.
But these fifty miles Of substantial
leyees will do little or no good, with
other fifty miles Of old work, and
very unsubstantial leyeea in the
District. The chief engineer Of the
District has with much careful labor
made an estimate Of the additional
work now required to perfect these
levees, which was ascertained to be
about two millions Of cubic yards.
This will bring the whole line up to
the standard adopted, which is three
feet above high water. These leyees
being once placed in that state Of per-
feCtness, the District will be absolute
ly secure against overflow.
The increased value Of all property
in the District, and the great impetus
to its future development, which this
confidence will create, will bs worth
the expenditure hundred fold over.
On the other hand, If lingering and
dilatory policy is pursued, the old
levees strengthened little from year
to year in their weakest parts, with
the small margin Of available taxes,
the condition Of security so much de-
sired, will be deferred to an inditn-
ite period and may never be attained.
Not only will the needed confidence be
wanting, but there will be positive
danger Of enormous disaster any sea-
son. The prompt policy will be the
truest economy in every point Of
view.
This Levee District possesses one in
calculable advantage over any other
part Of the Mississippi Delta, In that its
levees with scarcely an exception, are
nowhere in danger Of caving into the
river for a generation to come. This
makes it possiblef for this district alone
to build permanent levees, possibility
which nowhere else exists In the allu-
vial regions. The necessary FIRST cost,
which is now definitely ascertained, is
comparatively small. The cost Of
maintenance hereafter will be mere
bagatelle. The district cannot afford
to do less than build permanent leYees
at once and have done with all fears
about overflow.
The name Of Mississippi is provsrbi-
ally bad in the money markets Of the
country, insomuch that the name alone
is sufficient to attach suspicion toany
paper bearing 1t, that is offered. The
half million dollars with which the
leyees were built during the past sea-
son was raised with great difficulty, at
the very last moment when 1t could
have been utilized, and only upon the
pledge fthe district, given in every
way that was then possible, that the
enactment BY the next legislature Of a
law imposing a cotton tax throughout
the district would be procured.
Upon the faith Of this pledge the
money was raised. The levees could
not possibly have been built without
it. The present cppositiontO to a cotton
tax law, which is being agitated in
some parts Of the district, is In direct
violation Of this pledge. After reap
ing the benefits resulting from it. the
repudiation Of the obligation now, is
contrary to every sentiment Of honor
and good faith.
But what is Of more practical inn
portance is, that it would be an abb
solutely suicidal policy. For such an
exhibition Of entire lack Of apprecia-
tion of its obligations. it would be ut