The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1886-12-04
CORRECTING ERROR.


T.
The issss Of November 11th, on
~rivsr lmpfovensnt,n permit me
TO pslns out some errors that you
have fallen into regarding the
Mississippi River Commission.
The Government has never
made an appropriation for lsysss,
but for the Improvement OF navi-
gation. Whatever has been ex.
pended for lsvees by the Commits.
sion has bssn merely subsidiary
10 the absvs purpose. and the
lsves interest 10 wholly indebted
TO the Commission itself for what
ever money has been diverted to
this use from moro immediate ap.
plication 10 the channel of the
river. "a'O t"'.h H-n
Yeu ssy. ave thousand dollars
salary . year, fer each member,
bssidss the perquisitss incidental
70 disbursing thros or four hun.
drea thousand dellars annually,
end IL 10 not surprising that they
are 10th TO give II apr This Ian
susge from . journalist with the
aounsn whloh you svincs, is quite
surprising.
The kiver Commission Is CON-
posed Of seven members. Four
cfthem are ofioers In the United
Staten army, Who are performing
their dutis, on the Commission
under sresrc fron the War De.
partnsnt. Their salaries arc the
came, whether en- the commission
or of. The three civil members
receive .throe theusand dollars
each, not I'VE thousand. As to
the "Derquisitss;" the Commls.
sion ellots two Or three millions a
year, bat does not dlsburss "three
or fsur hundred thousands" nor
indeed cns slnRls cent Of the ap.
preparations. All the money ID
disbursed By tho War Depart
n,nA Tho Commission handles
mono ef II, hut merely indicates,
a. directed BY law, whsro u rhall
BE- expended. or the last appro
| pris,ion Of 1--WE millions for river
impfsvoms the Commission has
deemed IA viss and cxpsdisnt ~
sllst four hundred thousand dol
lars 10 lsvsc building, in the inter
sst Of navigation, a. improving
the channel. The law doos moi
| permit thon 10 build levees for
sny other purpose. or this allot'
msnt. our district, with o hundred
and ten milss front, gsIs ono
fourth for our lovsee, enc hun
dred thousand dollars, notwlth'
standing that oil ths other leves
interests, representing some az
teen hundred miles, were olsmor'
Ing for their share, and looked mp
on US with envy. I. docs not be-
como us therefore to quarrel with
the Commission just after such q
liberal sppotlonmsni to us Of the
| general lsvse fund.
Veu are in errer In aupposing
that the present deterioration In
"tho works and plant" ofthe River
Commission 10 due to any "red
tape systsm" for which they are
rssponsibls. II ir due TO the fall
ufo Of the 4sth Congress to make
any appropriation for river i'm
provsmsnt, % thst for nearly two
years the Commission hes been
entirely without means 10 do any
thing. Ton arc else Ia srrer in as
cunning that tbo money expended
frsm Plum Pcint to vioksburg has
been ihfovn awes. On the con
irars, the money expended In the
channel hao greatly benefited
navigation, % tho Steamboat pilots
affect, and contrary 10 oil sIpecta
tione, Notwithstanding the long
and enforced neglect, fully ninety
per cent Of the vorks OF channel
improvement feiEsins intact
Tho Commission has heratofors
s1psadod ol3o, 900 on levess in the
lowcr Mississippi Leveo District
Only a4o,oOs was expended In ouI
dIstrict, because we had then No
eraanlsstisn and could hold out
no indnosment that any sxpsndi
ture from their limited means or
our lc,oes vopid materially bsne
| ht either their interests or ours.
roarly avery member Of th.
River Commission 10 In hearty
eympathy With tho work OF re
claiming the Mississippi delta from
tho evils Of overflow, aside from
tho interesto of navigation. Blu
II is alec o sart OF their pro
grnmns TO lsveo the whole rival
in far!hersnco ef navigation inter
ests. All thoy lsek to carry ou
thio programme IL the mean
which Congress- nIons can supply
There 10 o strong sentiment In Con
| rrasA odvarae A. env lo~aa varl