The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-25
MONEY FOR LEVEES IS NECESSARY NOW Miss. River Commission Has
 Lengthy Hearing IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED All the Speakers Argue That the Money to Be Appropriated By Con gress Should Be Drawn on
 In Advance.

St. Louis, Mo, June 2l.-The Mississippi River commission having charge of river improvements and levee construction from the mouth of the Ohio to the Gulf met here today in regular annual session, to prepare the yearly report. The presidents and engineers with others interested of twenty-three levee districts, are here to secure from the commission the immediate appropriation of additional millions of dol- lars with which to build levees for the protection of property along both sides of the lower river. When the public hear ing adjourned this afternon, representa- lives from all the level districts south of Carlo to Pontchartrain, La, had been heard in their geographical order and at another session tomorrow others from the lower districts will present their arguments It Is expected that the commission will announce its decision in the matter of al- iotments by the end of the week
 Members of Commission.
 The members of the commission. all of whom are attending the meeting, are;
 Gen. O. H. Ernest of the corps of en- gineers of Chicago B. M Hafrod of New Orleans, R. s. Taylor of Fort Wayne, ind; H. L. Merindin, assistant United States coast and geodetic survey, Wash ington; J. o. Oakerson of St. Louis, Lieut. Col. H. M. Adams, corps of en- gineers, United States army, of New Orr leans; Major T. L. Casey, corps of engin- eers, United States army, of St. Louis, and Capt. w. B. Laduc, corps of engin- eers, United States army, of Washington. Prominent among the speakers today were Congressman J. E. Ransdell, mem Der of the rivers and harbors committee of the house; former Lieutenant Governor Snyder who spoke for the Fifth Louisiana Levee district; J. M Dickinson, chief counsel for the Illinois Central railroad; A. G. Cochran, chief counsel for the Iron Mountain railroad; Congressman R. Bartholdt of St. Louis, and Congressman Vandiver of Cape Girardeau, Mo
 Money Needed In Advance.
 It was the sense of all arguments pre- sented by the speakers that the money to be appropriated by congress for river im- provements should be drawn on in ad- vance, so that needed Improvements could be made at once. State levee boards set out plans by which the money could be used to more advantage now than by waiting from year to year for 1t to be dealt out in fractions. offers were made to carry certificates on government allot- ments for the contractors, and if neces- Sary, 10 pay interest On tHe 6dAhC So bhat the repairs, which are necessary to Insure the safety of lives and property along the lower river. might not be delayed by wait ing for the anticipated appropriations
 Following M. Snyders' account of the hardships encountered by the citizens of Louisiana in keeping back the water from their homes and property, Col. E. J. Gay, a former resident of St. Louis and one of the largest planters on the lower river. spoke of the need of help from the gen. eral government in the Atchafalaya dis trict. With an allotment of s1000o0, Col. Gay thought the local forces would be able to cope with the situation.
 Attorney M F. Rogers and R. W. Smith appeared for the Desha levee dis trict. They promised that if the commis- sion would make the allotments contem- plated for the next two years at once, they would undertake to accomplish in a year what would otherwise take two or three years to execute.