The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-07-17
GREENVILLETIMES.
SATURDAY, JULY IL 1897
OUR SITUATION.

Secretary Alger has refused 10 up
nrove the alotments made by 'he
Mississippi River Commission ana
has returned them TO President GILES
pie of the Commission, with the
direction that the amount allowed io'
dredging work be Increased. 1t APP
pears that the Commission owns SIX
large dredge boats, which can only be
operated during about five months III
the wear, and are kept in harbor the
rest of the time. The Commission
owns no tenders, having been in the
habit of bring them by The month
when necessary. For some time the
subject Of building or purchasing
tenders has been considered b. the
Commission. and al its last meeting
much pressure was brought to bear
10 set aside 100000 for this purpose
and this would have been done, but
for the representations of Major Har'
rod. WHO convinced the Commission
that it would be impossible to use the
tenders until the water again rises
and falls The Commission therefore
decided to continue to hire tenders,
aud devoted the 100000 to levee
purposes. The Secretary of War,
probably not advised of these facts,
yet knowing the intention of the Conn
mission to procure the tenders, took
the action mentioned. The 100000
in question must necessarily have been
subtracted from the amount appropri-
sted for levees.
1t is announced that another meet
ing of the Commission has been called,
and will take place III a short time.
If Insisted upon, the effect of this un-
expected action of the Secretary upon
this Ievee district, and presumably
upon others, will be absolutely disss-
trous. Especially is the lower Yszoo
district in no condition to reliuquish
even part of the sum allotted for the
repair and reconstruction of it's leVees.
In its whole line scarcely q single mile
affords adequate protection against
such food as the ons just passed.
The levee must be practically rebuilt
in many places, and everywhere
ghtened, streDg thened and enlarged
to at least render it equal to the cor
responding line on the west side of
the river The crevssses caused by
the late high water are yet uurepaired,
or are at best temporarily closed by
irail contrlvances which must give
way before the least strain. The re-
sources of the district for self protcc-
ton are well.mgh exhausted. The
excessive taxation which has been
long and cheerfully borne has yearly |
drained the district or sum which,
however great, is Inadequate to meet |
present necessities. Instead of falling |
on q great number of property own
ers, as would be the case in most other
localities, the burden Is borne by COM
parstively few, who, while possessing |
great tracts of land, are almost with
out exception in debt, with plantations
mortgaged and rendered unremuner-
alive because of such misfortunes as
could only be sverted by a secure
pr election from overflow. Our local |
organization, the Levee Board, 10 in
no case to help. The following fig |
ures, carefully estimated, will show
only too plainly the straits to which it
and the people of the district are re-
duced
Amount In Treasury on March 1At..... sl0O, 900
Receipts from certificates Indebtedness. %, 800
Receipts from other sources IS zoe