The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-25
MONEY FOR LEvEES
NECESSITY OF ACTION URGED ON
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER COM
MISSION.
THIRTY MILLIONS NEEDED
TO PUT THE Low COUNTRY OUT OBJ
DANGER FROM THE
FLOODS.
PEOPLE TAXED NOW TO THE LIMIT
Any Comprehensive System of Lev
ees Must BE Taken in Hand by
the Government.

NEW YORK. June 24.-The Missis-
sippi river commission convention cen
vened in the Army building here to-
day, and Immediately went into execu-
tive session to deliberate on and posi-
bly, make some changes in the annual
report of the commission. The report,
as soon as it had been put in the de-
sired form, will be forwarded to Secre-
tary of the Navy Long some time he
tween the 1st and 10th of July. Until
the report reaches Secretary Long the
commission will not make it public.
The congres sional appropriation for
damages to property from the over
flowing Of the Mississippi river amounts
to 81, 933, 1873 for the fiscal year ending
June go 1897. This sum will be dis
tributed by the commission after the
hearing Of testimony on damages sus-
tanned in the three districts extending
from Cairo to the gulf
When the committee went into open
session, Senator Berry, from Arkan-
sas, addressed the members. He said
that the future of the Mississippi river
depended upon the report which this
committee would make. If this report
money would be appreciated to pro-
tect the banks He eulogized Senator
Frye and detailed at considerable
length the causes for dissatisfaction
which had arisen in the Southern states
against the levee system. He reviewed
the action of congress in it's apprOpria-
ton, and said that it was only by the
most strenuous efforts that 1888. 333
had been granted
Nearly all the delegates who address
ed the board this afternoon dilated on
the millions that had been expended
since the levees were constructed. They
tcld of the enormous amount of taxes
raised to defray the expense of keeping
up the levees and nearly all of them
complained of empty treasures, deVaS-
tated lands and an impaired credit.
They all stated they had gone to the
limit of taxation. They declared it
was absurd to tax land owners who
had lost everything by floods. 1t was
shown how impossible it was to issue
bonds The whole burden of the argu-
ment was the necessity of the govern
ment lending a helping hand. With
the leveeS repaired and the land pro-
tected no additional help wcul be re-
quired. Mr.. Sellers, of Mississippi,
lower district, stated that it would re-
quire 100000 yards of earth to re-
pair the damage done The estimates
made Of expenditure by districts rang
ed from eight millions tc eleven billions
of dollars.
NEED OF LENEES.
Col. w. G. Ycrger. of Mississippi. said
that had there been no leVees between
Natchez and Vicksburg, the food would
have been appalling in it's loss of life
and destruction CT property. If the
leVees had not given away the water
would have risen four and a half feet
higher than the flood of 1892, the high
est on record Many of the delegates
told of the benefit Of the 100000 I'M
mediately made available by congress
out of the 81, 933, 333 appropriated The
statement was made that there was no
levee capable of sustaining another
food like that which has passed. All
the levee districts represented had re-
ports of the districts made since the
flood.
Engineer Startling. Of the upper Mis-
sissippi district, stated it would re-
qUire eleven million yards of dirt to
repair the damage done by the last
flood He said that two-thirds of the
levees were rotten" being made of
rails with loose dirt between. He said
$40 900 was spent during the last flood
by the districts. Mr.. Startling claimed
that his district was the worst on the
Mississippi Many of the delegates
pointed out that the first-class leVees
resisted the Entertainments of the flood.
Judge Prindell. of Arkansas. main
tanned that the Mississippi was a great
national highway and should be pro-
tected by the national governme He
suggested that the commission should
Incorporate these sentiments in its re-
ports He thought $34000,00 would do
the work in thirty-four months He
asked for $135O00 for his district and
for the extension of the Arkansas river.
Judge Jrindell made a vigorous speech
for government protection, and praised
the remarks of Stuyvesant Fish, of the
Illinois Central railroad company. The
meeting adjourned until tomorrow
morning.