The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-05-24

4
and harbors bill from all attacks
on the floor OF the House. This ac.
acknowledgements, coming from politi-
cal opponent. is but faint echo OF
what is felt throughout the States 70
be benefited by the provisions of the
rivers and harbors bill, as to the eff.
cheney and working qualities of our
member.
That Mr.. Ransdell is a member q,
the committee on rivers and harbors Is
sufficient guarantee to those OF his
constituents who know him that he is
an active and working member; that
no amount of work or careful research
for the facts and figures necessary to
make him master of his subject is toe
much for him to undertake, and it is nc
surprise to US here at his home that he
was prepared to meet iustsuch attacks
as were made On the bill:
Representative Ransdell is entitled
to our thanks for his able defense OF
| the demands of the Mississippi river
against the incomprehensibl opposi.
| tionEof Mr.. Hepburn, of Iowa. Iowa
Is on the Mississippi river. and Mr.. Hep.
burn has shown himself broad-puaee
man in his treatment of the inter.
oceanic canal project, and therefore
MS attitude as to our river appropri-
| alton is the more remarkable. Our
people cannot understand the consist
ency OF statement who would expend
one hundred and fifty millions upon a
water course outside of our nation and
refuse to expend few millions upon a
water course within our limits which
drains more States and reaches more
industries than we will ever reach by
the canal in a hundred years. The
Mississippi river is far more important
to the United States than the Nicara qua
canal. and yet Mr.. Hepburn asserted
in the House that he hoped to see the
day when the Mississippi River Com
mission would be abolished, because
while we have been making this ex-
penditure, all the time the commerce
of the streams (the Mississippi and Mis-.
souri) has been diminishing, and is
next to nothing Mr.. Hepburn de-
ciared that. with the exception of the
jetties, mo man can show that there
has been one iota of Improvement in
the channel that is to be navigated of
that great stream" the Mississippi.
Mr.. Ransdell, In careful exposition
OF the facts, called Mr.. Hepburn down.
The chief engineer of the Mississippi
River Commission says in his report
for 1901 that ION no bar between Cairo
and the head of the passes was there at
any time during the low-water season
of 1900 a channel depth of less than
10 IL feel." Mr.. Ransdell rightly
said of this highly Important fact that
it shows wonderful Improvement
since the commission began work
twenty years ago, when the shoal pla-
ces had less than five feet and were i'm
passable to steam boats As for the
volume of commerce on the river, Mr..
Ransdell quoted from the reports of
the supervising inspectors of steam
vessels, proving that on the MISSISSIPPI
pi river below Cairo to-day, there are
81 per cent. more steam vessels in op-
Grafton than in 1896, and 80 per cent
more than in 1881.
Mr.. Hepburn interrupted TO ask If
this was an increase in numbers or in
tonnage, and Mr.. Ransdell replied that
the increase was in tonnage. ard that,
furthermore, the tonnage of barges
was not included. Statistics for the
year ending May 81, 1899, show that
1S9 steamers and 1,6S5 barges piled on
the Mississippi between Cairo and New
Orleans, carrying in that year 47l,128
tons, valued at $94, e05, 1862, these fig
ures excluding the coastwise and for
eign commerce of New Orleans. Ohio
river boats are more numerous, finer
and faster than ever before. and many |
of these also ply on the Mississippi.
Allnding ito the appropriation for
levees. Mr.. Ransdell showed that the
states are contributing nearly three
times as much as Congress. The total
expenditures have been
SIG. 653,609. while the amount expend-
ed by States and land owners has been |
S37, 643,705. For every 81 expended
on the Mississippi levees by the gov
ernment- Louisiana, mississippi and
Arkansas have spent 1926. These
three States collect now an annual
levee tax of $2,130,000. Mr.. Rams
dell touched upon the vast extent and
interests of the government to improve
q great national artery like the Mlssis-
sippi, and the $4,000 square miles of
rich lands to be redeemed along the
lower river. In conclusion Mr.. Rams
dell said:
81 think that Congress pursued wise
and just policy when. many years ago,
it began the Improvement of this great
river. There is certainly no river so
national in its character and no pro-
Jet more important and far.reaching
Than the Improvements of such river.
sincerely hope that the project will
never be abandoned until that whole
valley has been protected, and until
hose courageous people who have done
so much for themselves shall have been
placed in a position of perfect safety.
N such position that immigration
viii flow there from all parts of the
world, and that we shall speedily have
4 population of from 100000 to
I6, 100000 of thriving. prosperous citi-
zens of these great United States
1t is rather singlar that Mr.. Hepburn
should resist all aid to the upbuilding
Of home territory whose arabic lands,
when protected, viii be more extern
sive than those of Cuba, and which are
capable of supporting population ten
times greater than that of Cuba. while
he is willing to grant to Cuba a rebate
lrom our treasury amounting to eight
millions of dollars annually The gym,