The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1899-04-08
4 BOOK ON OUR LnvEEs

4 BOOK ON OUR LEVEEs.
The Times-Democrat has men
toned, from time to time, tal
good work done by Mr.. Frank l.
Tompkins, special representative
of the Interstate Mississippi River
Improvement and Leyee AssoeIa
tion, in collecting statistics and in,
formation about the leyee system
that have been used with good eff.
feet before the rivers and harhors
committee in the House and the
commerce committee in the Sen
ate. When we began this prose
lyting work in the North and
West, where the people knew
nothing of levees, we found a
strong prejudice against them, or
rather against Federal aid to them
and it will 0e remembered that the
original appropriation for the i'm
provement of the Mississippi con
tanned a provision that none of the
money shonld 90 for the construo-
ton of levees. This prejudice has
been overcome, and Congress to-
day provides literally for the le-
wees, but it is hoped TO induce the
United States to recognize its full
obligation in this matter by ac-
cepting full responsibility for the
levees and making an appropria-
ton sufficiently large to complete
the leyee system now in such good
condition. This matter would
have been pressed at the last ses-
sion of Congress but for the war
and the disturbing influence it had
on legislation of all kinds, but it
will come up in December, when
the question of appropriating
$15, ,0O0,000or $40, 100000 for les
wees, as recommended0by the Sen
ate commerce committee, will be
acted on.
Mr.. Thompkins proposes to sup
plement his good works for leyees
by a book on the subject, and is
preparing comprehensive and val
liable literary work under the title
of "The Riparian Lands of the
Mississippi, Past, Present and
Prospective, ASSISTED by Hon,
H, W. Ogden, M, G., and IN the
statistics relative to the commerce
on the Mississippi river and the
Jetties by Capt. John W. Bryant
of this city, and in the engineer
ing and technical parts by the en-
gineer having in charge the build
ing of levees and the improve
mept Of navigation of the river.
The purpose of this publication is
to acquaint the public with all the
facts (and the industrial, agricuI-
tpral and commercial possibilities)
on which we base our claim to
governmental assistance. \ sup
nogt is desired from the people of
the Mississippi Valley sufficient to
allow the gratuitious circulation of
this work throughout the ohaDn",,ss
of trade and eommeTrce of the
enited Sthfrcs This will be done
~ distributing it to the Boards of
Trade, Chambers of Commerce
and similar organizations through
out the country, and to the
Oranges of the Northwest, from
which section we buy such large
quantities of farm product ons.
With the information before
them which this volume will furn-
ish it is thought that the efforts OF
Hon. Chas. Scott, president of the
Levee Association, to secure the
active assistance and cooperation
of all these bodies in memorials to
Congress and to the members from
the different districts will be sue
cessful.
The book has the warm indorse-
ment and encouragement OF the
Senators and Representative from
the Mississippi Vail ey, and from
the commercial Exchange, cor
porations and others of all the
river cities.
The following signatures 10 the
Endorsement of the book from
New Orleans show the great con-
bdenee felt in it and the beneficial
effects expected from it: