The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-07-14
MOXEY FOK THE LEVEEs .
70 the Commercial. Appeal

River CommlIHou at their rSeen
meeting in Now York,
With your permission, | will en-
deRVor to correct these srronSous i'm
preIaionS.
AIa matter OF fact the Commits
zion had only little over es00,00(
to distribute among all tho lovee diS
tricis. The al!otmonts made last ysAI
had to stand A. then made, and could
only DO slightly increased by dividing
up the small addition amount made
available by the present congress
rhIs amount was originally t600,00C
aud was designed to cover tie cos
OF closing ali the crevRSGes that oc
Cured during the recent high water
1t WAS in some way reduced TO $Sl6,
900, the explanation of which dC
not now remember, and that sum wal
divided pro rata among those levo'
districts where croVGGSeS occurred
each receiving IS per cont. OF the o..
limated cost OF closing itS crevasses
IN addition TO lie allotment made lGIt
year tor this year.
Those districts in which no breaks
occurred in tho lsvseb received only
the allotment OF last rear, without any
addition
Tho general disappointment with
the present alIotnentS 10 dus to thr
fact that heretofore the Commission
has distributed not sHlY the allSt.
msut for the current year, but for QUE
or mere years in advance; and had
that policy been pursued In the pre-.
sent instance, az We generally expect
ed, the amounts distributed would
have been much more liberal, and
doubtless there would have been 10
grounds for disappointment In any
quarter.
AS the matter stands We must wait
until uext year for next years aIlOt-
ment, instead OF anticipating it thlS
season, when it 10 most needed.
The explanation of the altered Atti-
tude OF the Commission on this gu inject
is as follows:
Last year, when the Allotments for
1896 aud 1897 we're sent TO Secretary
Of War Lamont for his approval, he
approved that fer 1926 only, ~, by
his Interpretation of the act Of Appro.
pristiou, be ruled that the Commission
was not authorized to make contracts
In advance OF appropriations, thus
everything the important feature iu-
volving the continued contract sys-
tenn" for which the river Improve
nent interests had made = hard struE-
gle for some years past, aud supposed
that this valuable feature of river
work had been secured, A. indsed The
system had been in practical opera.
ton during the preceding four ysArs
with acknowledgements.
Il appears, moreover, that the pre-
sent secretary OF war has s1stSinsd
the ruling OF his predecessor in this
matter, 40 that the River Commission
WAs restricted to merely rediItribute
this yssr's allotment with the small
addition above noted.
An effort was made by Gen. Catch
iugS 10 remove this difficulty by an
amendment to the appropriation act,
but the amendment failed 10 pass.
l trust that this explanation will
disAbuse the minds OF those who feel
that the River Commission has, in All
arbitrary manner, distributed the
funds at thir diSpOeal by partial and
unjust method.
Respectfully,
I. G. DABNEY.
Comm enting upon the above letter,
the VickGburg Herald speaks as fol-
lows:
The distribution was simple
adoption OF the suggestion made by
Mr.. CatChinES; the non-disturbanos
of the allotment OF tho appropriation
for the fiscal year 1898, and to use
the special appropriation for creVasse
closures. This, As stated by Major
DAbney, was only $3lS,000-redu ced
to the amount from 100000 by Gd-
Vanoes to certain districts during the
flood prevalence. These facts, as
stated by the Chief Engineer of the
Upper LeVee District, are patent. If
they stood in need Of Affirmation
or explanation, it has been owing to
q faithful, but shallow and hopeless,
attempt ofpartisGns OF the Governor;
to give color Of reason or warrant to
that New York clark" OF him and his
staff. By confusing and obscuriDg
the facts a. to the action OF the Com
of the amounts allotted, It
has been sought to make it appear
that he, aud his "Gtaff," achieved other
results than those related, and illustra-
trated, in the New York papera