The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-01

appropriation, protect land from over
now. regulate the regimen of the rivers,
SO that damage viii not be caused by
the floods. It would apply not merely
TO the Kansas or kaw river, but to ev-
cry other river in the United States.
Mr.. Curtisz-Is, it not true that con-
gress has helped the people wherever
they have been visited with great dis
asters-for instance, Galveston and
Mount Pelee-that congress has helped
when appealed tor
Mr.. Burton-There have been es.such
as TURNS ming tents and furnishing 1000
and money, but those do not make a prec-
edent sufficient to justify us in taking up
tud Rl0p0Si'iOn OF TINS very great masnl-
Mr.. Cowherd-Mr. Chairman, foresee
that the gentleman from Kansas will find
what all other gentlemen have, that it is
impossible to amend this bill, however
meritorfous may be the proposition he has
TO o1er; hut / want to say just word
in support of the amendment which he Of
fers. Now, Mr.. Chairman, in a great many
places IN the bill I see where 1t provides
for locks and dams in order to store the
water and furnish navigation for ships to
~ ~ WI u lne cream on the WateI We nave
that goes down the Kansas river in one
Of these floods, they can float the United
states navy without any trouble almost
from its source to its mouth. LLaughter.l
The gentleman was right in stating
that this was one of the greatest disasters
that has ever struck this country In the
city which have the honor to represent,
in connection with the city across the line,
from Kansas iNdr. Bowersockl, there were
more than 1900 dwelling houses alone that
were either totally OF partially destroyed.
There were more than SIS, 600 900 worth of
property, 10 say nothing of the contingent
damage to business, that was absolutely
wiped out of existence. Gentlemen talk
about these appropriations being for in
terstate commerce. Every railroad that
reaches the southwest has its terminal in
that little valley between those two cities,
and the commerce of four states was
block there for two weeks by that enOr-
nous flood. Now, this is river that is
navigable in law Once the Kansas legis-
lature attempted to exercise control over
it, and the courts of the United States de-
government holds in its hands, that the
state can not control. and submit that it
IS the duty of this house, as has been well
said by the gentleman from Kansas IMr.
CurtisJ to give US this aid even If this is,
as the chairman of the committee has
said, in part for the preservation of prop
erty. 1t is no more for the preservation of
property than part of the appropriations
along the Mississippi. 1t is true that you
have navigation there also, but it is
equally true when you call upon the peO-
50 per cent of the cost Of the levees that
we do it on the ground that it is a pro-
lection to property, and a large number
of the millions that have been expended
were expended to protect the rich a1luvial
bottom lands of the Mississippi from DAM
age by flood and overflow. I submit this
is equally meritorious.
The Chairman-The question is on the
adoption of the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Kansas.
The question was taken and the amend
11Cnt was rejected.