The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1898-06-25
LEYEE FACTS AND FIGURES.

the Delta Flag in reporting Mr.
Henry's speech at Greenwood
quote him as making these asser
tions:
LIST. That the statistics proved
that Arkansas had received twice
and Louisiana three times as much
for levees as Mississippi.
2nd. That Chalmers and Lynch
had got more money for leyees in
eleven years than Catchings had
in fourteen.
3rd, That of the "last pitiful
appropriation only a million and
half was made for this District,
while Arkansas and Louisiana got
three and four millions respect
ively.n
Assertions one and two are
stated by the Enterprise, three by
the FIagi which also says that
"Mr, Henry made no idle asser-
tlons, but had the statistics to
prove every assertion"
By some person Or through some
source, Mr., Henry has been mis-
led into making the foregoing
utterly and awfully fallaolous
statements, That he has erred in
hurriedly educating himself on
levee data is not strange, for there
is a lack of easily accessible record
in summary or totals, that would
puzzle any one who has not kept
tab on the Congressional and River
Commission proceedings in the
past twenty years. 1t has been no
slight task for the editor of Tho
Herald, who has made the subject
specially during that period, to
gather the following compilation, |
which will show how very far Mr., |
Henry has missed the lnujI,s owe
y Iacts IN his maiden shot at levee
lore. 1t is easy enough to get at
he totals of funds expended by |
,he Commission. But the alIot-
nepts for levees, which is the
ooint at issue, the correct divisions
Imong the districts, in the absenVe I
# other sources of reference, re-
Iuires an exploration through
many volumes, and thousands of
'ages of un-indeXed reports; so
ar as we know without a summa-
y by years and districts-such as
1e now submit for general infor-
nation and future reference:
From 1879 to 1885, while the
istrict was represented by Messrs.
'halmers, Lynch and JefGordS,
lere was expended by the River
the sum of 50, ,013, 900;
which none was allotted for
wee purposes until 1882, when
300, 900 was so used In 1884
le sum of S106, 900 was set apart
II levees. These were the only
overnment expenditures for lev
IS before Mr.. Catchings entered !:
ongress. :
From 1885 to 1896 the Commits
On has received from Congress
1887, 1861; of which g, $780, 900
we been devoted to levee pur-
,ses. In 1892 Mr.. Catchings in :
ICED the River and Harbor Com
ittee and Congress to make u
ange in the phraseology of the =
l. which required the Commits
m to prevent floods, and to apply :
, continuous contract system to J.
Q levee work. In pursuance of !,
3 latter Congress appropriated q
1892, $1O,O00,000 for the Com =
ssion, for the four years ensu- i
:. And through the latter Mr.. =.
tchings-as stated by Col. Max =
,ll-induced the Commission to =
OF six millions, or over half, for !,
'ees. =,
The large sums appropriated for E,
3 Tensas basin simply evened up ~
8 inequalities of the two sides; -
t, owing to unprecedentedly q
cap work, what had been the j
,aker became much the stronger. :,
le work on White river basin :,
ised the flood level, and the y
erfow of 1897 followed, which =
for the first time-raised the ;,
e and cry that partiality had =,
en- shown Louisiana and Arkan- :,
;. Naturally enough, but most =,
1selessly, ignorance and design y
S used this clamor against Mr.. ..
"
Special and high water allow :,
ces have also been given out