The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-04-02

that purpose you will admit that we do
our best. The State Of Louisiana is now
divided by law into twelve levee districts.
with power to impose upon themselves
various rates of taxation. There Is, first,
a one-mill tax on all property in the State,
whether subject to overflow or not In
addition to this, the levee districts subject
to overflow generally tax themselves ten
mills ad valorem on all assessed property
in their territory: plus from y to cents
an acre ON all land; plus from % cents to
81 on each bale Of cotton produced; plus
10 cents on each barrel, or - cents on
each | 900 pounds Of sugar made; plus >
cents on each barrel of ninlaSsc>. plus q,
cents on each barrel of syrup: plllS ! ! to
81 cents on each sack OF rough rice raised;
plus y cents on each barrel nf oranges
gathered; plus | ] cents on each barrel of
esculents grown. to say nothing "t taxing
the railroads from $50 to 500 Il mile.
In some districts they even tax the oys
terS. because they claim that, if the river
water breaks through into the beds, it
spoils the oysters Moreover, the various
levee districts have been empowered to
mortgage themselves to issue bonds for
le2ee purposes to total amount of ST.
600, 600, and of this sum they have already
issued S3, 11S,000.
These various sources of revenue Weld
to Louisiana about 81 lS0, 600 annually.
These laws have been in effect mainly
since 1890 before which time levce build
inc was done ON Il much less munticent
scale. During the last thirty-two years
the State Of Louisiana has spent in levee
construction alone, the sum of So, 800.
900, supplemented by about 81, 900, 900
given by the National Government. Dur
inc the last food we held the water back
in this State so successfully that for the
first time we were enabled to form an esti-
mate Of the ultimate flood heights which
may have to be contended with at snch
times. Before that there had been 50
many breaks that nobody could guess really
to what height flood might rise. But
this time We had 50 few breaks that we
now have some standard to work by and
we can see daylight ahead Twenty mill
ion dollars would give us practically the
levee protection we need on the lower
Mississippi and we hope to get that amount
from Congress.
This levee building in the Southern
States is really national matter as well
as local one. We have to carry off the
drainage of 4 per cent. Of the total area
Of the United States, exclusive OF Alaska.
The overhows threaten 80, 900 square
miles of the most fertile lands in the cOun-
try. The danger from these overf1ows be-
came more serious every year, because the
amount Of water carried off by the Missis-
sippi grows constantly greater. This is
because of the deforeStation and improved
drainage of the territory from which the
water is drawn. Formerly great deal of
the rainfall remained on the ground and
was retained by the vegetation. to be alb
sorbed and evaporated again, but now rs
soon as rain has fallen it finds its way by
canals, bitches. nr other drains straight to
the river. The improvement Vi the cen
trail and northern States has caused the
floods which have poured upon us with
such suddenness during the last few years.
In 1890 the water was higher than ever
known before. In 1897 it was from three
to four feet higher than in 1890
''Do you put the conyicts To work ON
the levees p
II am very glad to do So whenever
can. We need so much work on the sys-
tenn that the employment of the convicts
does not perceptibly lessen the amount Of
work to be given out to free laborers
Using all the labor we can get or can pay
for, we are still unable to accomplish all
that is needed. But after the recollection
of the food time has worn off. the people
become indifferent, some demagogue
comes along and says that the employment
of the convicts on the levees deprives an
honest man of chance to get living
and there is a great howl But we use
all the labor We can pay for, and are glad
To get the convicts in addition Louisiana
is the great levee State. We depend for
protection on Il total of ,27S miles of
levees, including those on streams other
than the Mississippi. This is almost as
much as the whole levee line Of the Missis
sippi River, which is $50 miles Louisi-
ana's levees are in better condition than
they were ever before, and with the help we
need and for which we hope from the Ma
tional Government, we will make our pro
lection adequate before very long.
1t has been said by some that the re-
cent flood has proved 10 be Il blessing
rather than catastrophe, that the water
deposited fresh alluval matter on the over
flowed lands, and so fertilized the soil that
the farmers raised the best crop they had
produced for years.
THAT is true, that the overflow fer
tilted some land But you must remem-
Der that when crevasSe occurs the water
rushes in so that it practically ruins acres
Of ground 1t digs the land out in great
gullies so that the tract becomes practically
worthless. OF course, the more remote
tracts may be fertilized. but when you take
into account the loss of stock. of buildings,
of drainage, Of machinery, Of fences, of
even human lives, the gain in fertility is
more than offset The cotton farmer is
not so badly affected as the sugar cane
grower. Sugar cafe cannot be raised
from seed, and the farmer has to buy seed
cane, which is very expensive. Then it
takes three years to restock Il plantation in
cane. No, the floods are not blessings.
If we had the Mississippi controlled as the
Egyptians have the Nile, we could utilize
the high water as they do. But they
have been living ON the Nile thousands of
years. longer than We have been on the
Mississippi. Give us time and money,
and We will manage our river so as to make
it blessing intsead of a menace.
Pigs farrowed in March and April grow
rapidly and overtake the fall pig if the