Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1903-11-07

ie'ee system. In its present cOndi.
uoh, incomplete both as regards ex.
tension and dimensions, II gave sub.
stantial protection to three-quarters of
the alluyisl valley and It's interests
which under food conditions without
leVees, would have been a lake from
twenty 10 eighty miles wide from
Cairo to the gulf This improvement
made during the past six years has
reduced the number of orevasses be.
tween Cairo and New Orleans from
th'rty-eisht to six OF the area over.
nowed this year, fve.eiFhths was the
clreet result II back water from The
lower ends Of the basins and overflow
through unbuilt parts of projected
lines and only three-eIghths from
breaks In the leyees, Notwithstanding
their unfinished condition as regards
both grade and section.
Under these circumstances the i'm.
portance Of the earliest practicable
completion Of the work Is apparent
II the food damages Of 1903 may be
approximately estimated at five mil
lions Of dollars, the previous expendl-
ture Of that sum in permanent work
would have largely. If not entirely,
prevented them Every years delay
In completion incurs the risk Of siml.
lar loss When the system shall have
been completed the cost will have
been increased by many millions OF
dollars, and the development Of the
valley delayed by many years Of anx.
lety and disaster, which could have
been saved by continuous work on a
scale commensurate with the impOr.
tance and magnitude Of the improve
ment The State levee districts re.
allze this. Most Of them have antici.
pated their revenues as far as praC.
tiCable, and several have now under
consideration plans for such increase
Of resources applicable to the work
as viii shorten the time Of compile.
ton The commission Is so impressed
with this view Of the subject that 1t
considers II for the best interest Of
the work to now make contracts for
| leyee construction to the extent Of
two million dollars as provided for in
the River and Harbor Act Of June 80,
nrtotod gar tbo GccoI wars ondina
T,ro an 1oo5 ora Ina 90 iona Fnr,
,barn,oro Il snagasts tbot n conoross
shoald think proper to make addl-
tIonal provision for leyee construction
during the fiscal years ending June
- +a,o ,,iIIior dollar. IN oddition to
~, a,,,o,,,,t, atrood,, ,ra,,;dod oon ho
L,Siotansiy ond aJyanto goorsly ov.
nnndod d,yrina ooob voar"
'~,,,,, -. .--....,..
Inn aue'toh ~ NV pI4'ee,,on ,,i
Vi lne ANUS VI 'ne M!SSloSippl ,o..p .S'.sS
'loil ''ie I'oouo, II 10 a iiia'',' ,', oi ~
pio'iIe tl'poi 'aiiIS 10, '.'' ~
'Le HaS'on SHo"'" Oe N'p' 'oi'''''i'''
auf'Seu VI 'ne
Commercial lmpoTtance Of the Mic
sissppl
rIvar as highway of commerce The
maryaIous growth oe railroad building
within tho Iost oportor of a century
hoe 90 diyorfod tbo ottortiton of the
n"biio trar, tba Nfisstesinni river as \
maane Of transnortation that II has
hnan a. conc oYtent lost sight of II
hos romainad however constant
safoorord aooinst undue rates of trans.
nortatfon and promises in the near
future TO become once more as active
factor in interstate commerce as it
ever has been in the past. This is
owing first to the almost unparalleled
increase in Industrial activity through.
ont tho valley. and. second, to the
don,onstration that bv means of by.
draulio dredees n sufficient channel
for low water NAVIGATION can be Sc.
cured and maintained We earnestly
ovnrpes the hone that the work of the
Nlssfssippi River Commission in this
1irection he pressed as RAPIDLY as can
no m nronorIv done with a view to open.
tno ,,n tho graat river once more so
tbot the neople may fully enjoy the
ovtroordinarv facilities which It IS
oon,hIo of sunnlving for the cheap
and steady exchange of their commod-
IHes Ieyee construction. is undoubt-
ALI. essential even if all thought of
rooioiming the fertile lands of the val
,or sbonId he abandoned. for, without
ioyoos ali river commerce during pc.
nIads ~ overaow would necessarily
case ,1r
C,v.h Tho work of Ievee cOnstruc.
10 So Las boon carried on bv the co.
llol .'"' .9o, ~ .ha Irnitod States GOV.
oro orn,nont through the agency OF the
o,inat.sirni y, nirie river Commission. with
tbe Ieyee organizations of the several
riparian States. OF the amount ex,
pended IN LniS "olN' M emv o., rnn,hors
mas cohtrIpuLeu' III nv o",,o noonIo have
ABOUT one, ,Ni"' -, tavo
subjected lleilsol'es nntrih,tions
ton IN lur.lshl"s 80. ny. o,,nrhmrdonnd
uhtli 'hey nav a. a,' 49, "a. roaard II is
their resources ~ 'nis a;,,onts % tho
the opln,on ~ ,L,t t"t 40 disicnIties and
great Fdpey NO Ill, and tho voet
magnitude VI ,, .nv 49, rrano ~ - aro such
Dehen,o ,,on W ;,stico The burden
that, IN common Juo.aon ~ M ,ho strong
shouiu ue p.%e'I m. I,oJaraI ooyernment
shoulders ol 'ne r,' Feuot eha,,,5 a, ha nrged
and that the WIZ !i 'i'U"'o w.. a,itohIo an.
to speedy conpie.on, ,'9 ,,iD ~ oon coon ha
nual appropriateness DUN, aa,,r,no ,n," not onIv
accomplisheu, mus aonnn,S Tbere.
safety but great eoo"oi'''
fore; ,,.,... 81,
Resolved, That, in the luasn'e9' .ta oa
this convention, the protecuoh Oh Tue