The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-08-21
AN UNWARRANTABLE ACTION.


The action of Captain Newcomer IN
accepting long time bids on The levce'
of our district is matter in Which
every citizen of the district is very
deeply Interested. That the Delta
should have to lake the risk OF anolh-
or overflow for the paltry sum OF
$4,000 is an astounding proposition
for this sum is the difference between
the long aud short bids for the com
pleliou Of the lovres 1st of January,
1899, aud lst OF March, 1898, respect
lively The arrangement made by
verbal promises from contractors TO
have forces on the lcveos TO hold them
during high water, (n case we have
One) is certainly not satisfactory to
tle property owners of the district ;
and nothing short of as early compile
ton of he work under contract as
possible will be satisfactory to the
parties In interest. 1t is impossible
for an engineer to forecast the proba-
biity of q high water at the present
time, and this is no question of engin-
eerIng, but of plsiu common sense.
The money was appropriated by
Congress to be expended during the
present year, and not next. We eX.
pect other appropriations for next
year 10 be expended then.
Another overflow is as certain as
another high water; aud unless the
work is done on our levees before the
LIST of March we are iu for snothe?
overflow.
The above communication, which is
signed Citizen" quite accurately
voices the sentiment of the public III
regard to the extraordinary deal made
by Captain Newcomer. The fact has
been demonstrated that alternate cycles
of high and low water follow each
ether with unyarying regularity, and
the probability of flood next spring
is far greater than the chance of low
water. AS matters stand we are abso-
lutely at the mercy of the river, or
rather of Captain Newcomer and the
contractors.
The communication of "Citizen"
does not contain one proposition
which can be disputed, and the feature
OF the transaction which is most un-
satisfactory is the manifest injustice
which DEGREES that money which was
appropriated to be expended this year
should be arbitrarily set aside for the
next.
The fact that the district has money
on band will probably greatly increase
the difficulty of obtaining further ap-
preparations next year, aud the abso-
lutte need for active and immediate
effort Is so apparent and important
that no statement of the case should
be necessary 10 make It's exigence un-
derstood.
Major Startling, Chief Engineer of
the Levee Board, has returned from a
visit TO Memphis, whittier he went TO
urge Captain Newcomer to recon-
m end the acceptance of the short time
bids. lie found Captain Newcomer
absent Oh vacation, and was informed
by his chief clerk that there was no
chance for the bids 10 be roconsidered
and the work allotted to the short
time bidders aud that even though
the LeVee Board stood ready to pay
the difference between the long and
short time bids, ii was too late TO
n axe any change. If the result of
his action should be q disastrous
overflow in 1898 the money allotted
o this district for its protection had j
Is well been thrown INTO the river
he promise of The long time contrac-
ors to hold the levees is well meant, |
'ut conveys no assurance of security. Z
Il certain places the leVees can doubt. I
ess be held, bot a great part of the {
me is from 2 to feet below the high |
water of '97, and the breaks are in r
Utmost the condition in which the late c
'Verfow left them. 6