The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-03-29
Congressman Ransdell Talks on
the Rivers and l1arbors Bill.

i
have not had the pleasure OF reading
tbe able and convincing speech OF
orr CONGRESSMAN, delivered on
Thursday last in behalf OF the rivers
and barbors bill, we take pleasure 10
publishing it below:
TIMES DEMOCRAT sPECIAL
Washington. March 19.-One OF the
/ mos, effective speeches in advocacy OF
The pending rivers and harbors bill was
delivered to-day by Congressman hahs,
dell the new member OF the rivers III"
barbors committee. Though this was
lbis maiden effort on these lines. MT
Kansdell disclosed, by the admirable
,.pner in which be handled the sub
;ect that he had. thoroughly mastered
il and was we'll equipped with facts
and figures to meet captious criticism.
Mr.. Ransdell's address, may III TACT,
he STYLED an epitome of levee and har-
Dor lore from Cairo to the Passes rom
the earliest history up to the present
time. He demonstrated that whlle the
Government had been fairly consider
ate of the interests of those forced to
live behind levees, that the State and
municipal authorities in the Delta had
expended nearly three times as much
as the Federal government for the pro-
lection of life and property against
floods bearing down from distant
States upon the people of that section.
MIR. Ransdell spoke without notes.
and was given close attention by the
House.
The bill was taken up under the five
minute rule at O'Clock, aud will be
discussed until tomorrow afternoon,
/ when it is expected vote will be
taken upon it. This is the statement
which Chairman Burton gave to Capt.
Bryan this afternoon.
Mr. Ransdell's speech was in part as
follows:
What has the general government
done for the Improvement OF the levee
system along the Mississippi riverP
take from the report of the Senate
commerce committee on the Mississp-
ri river floods this statement, prepared
by the secretary of the Mississippi
River Commission, under direction OF
| it's president. 1t shows that the total
3 vardage of levee construction by Fed
, era!. State, local and private authority
is 1914 $50 .375 yards, built at cost OF
$47, 631, $50. of which yardage $500
461' wards were constructed by the gov
eminent, costing $13. 500, 70S, and &c.
e 2S9, 944 yards by State. local and pri-
p vate authority. costing $34.31O, 795
"Since this report the general gov
i eminent has expended on levees total
g expenditure of S16.653,600. In this
:, time the States and riparian Land own
ers have expended fully rs much more,
1 making total amount expended by
: States and riparian land owners OF at
=, least $37, 643. 795, or total cost for
: levees of $54, 297 .404. Now / wish to
impress upon every member OF the
committee the fact that for every. dol
lar spent by the national government
{ for building levees on the Mississippi
. river. the States of Louisiana, Missis-
- sippi and Arkansas have spent 81 %.
n 1--WE are not coming here empty.
e handed and asking for aid. We are
helping ourselves, and dong it in a
Z most vigorous manner. The levee in
U terest along the banks of this river is
r in the hands of the local levee boards
and the State engineers, and these
: levee boards and the States of Louis
e lana, Arkansas and Mississippi actual
o ly collect annually leyee tax of $2,-
. 1870 900, so you see we are contribute
ing cheerfully. and enormously from
our own resources,
1T has been said by many that the
l. national government has been paying
, one half of the amount expended upon
8 levees. | tell you that the government
has not been contributing one-half to-
Y ward this Improvement. We have
q contributed for our own protection 81 70
= for every 81 the general government
: has put up, and we are spending more
9 and more every year.
q I'VE are paying an enormous
amount of taxes. | say We are paying
, more and more for the reason that our
/ lands are enhancing so much in value
/. because of this levee protection and
consequent increase IN crops and the
general development of the valley"
Mr. Ransdell then quoted from the
reports of eminent engineers. army and
n civil. including Col, Suffer- Major
n Leach, Major Kingman and other en-
gineers of the army, and Col. Flad and
e Major Harrod of the Mississippi River
e. Commission.
! "Col. Suter said he would built
levees for the improvement of the navi
" cation of the Mississippi river if it ran
1t through a wilderness which was mo-
I. peopled. They are necessary 10 retait
control over the whole volume of wa
u ter They prevent the river from
" damaging the work done for improv
: ing the low water discharge of tn
!. stream. If there was no question
Is about protecting the lands, and it wa
Sc simply improving navigation. l woulC
still bull d the levees'
IAN of these distinguished engineer
agree, IN substance, with the views ex
pressed by Col. Suffer-"
D. Extracts were also made from rep
M resentatives of the Mississippi Rive
Commission showing that for man
Us years the majority of the commission
ar have held that levees are a most va
"A liable adjunct to channel improvement
Mr. Rausdell discussed at length tn
De constitutional right and duty of Con
RI gress to build levees on the Mississippi
mr. river. He argued that the river Is th
property of the United States for tn
at use and benefit of the whole nation
fl. and it should regulate and preserve ii
IN property in such manner as not to il
jure people of any portion of the cour
at try; that under the power to establis
ma postoffices and postroads Congress ha