The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1906-09-24
CHICAGO TO GULF
WORK is NEEDED
Must Keep River In Banks to
Maintain Deep Channel.
Some Of the Benefits South VIII De-
rive From Better Water.
ways. -
TO CONGRESSMAN HUMPHREYS


cause of cheap water transportation
and efficient rate regulation through
the Improvement OF the rivers and
harbors of the country is daily gain.
ing strength here. Prominent men OF
both parties are Fastening to identi-
fy themselves with this non-politi-
cal movement. among the latest to
express themselves being Congress
man b. G. Humphreys of Mississippi
who, in an interview just given out,
deals with the practical benefits
which would accrue from a success
full support of the work of the ma
tional rivers and harbors congress.
the organization which is striving
for the increased appropriations nee
essary to the work.
The Improvement of the Mississip-
pi river naturally is of the greatest
Importance to the people in my part
Of the country said Mr.. Humphreys
THE levee system has TO a large ex-
tent been kept up from local sources.
The proportion now is about 50
from the local people where the ma
tional government puts in 81. Ny
district alone has put into this work
in the last 22 years 100000 900 and
there have been reclaimed from over
flow 5000 square miles in my dis
trict alone. But while our levees de-
mand attention. we are most vitally
interested in the project for IA
foot waterway from Chicago to the
gulf. a fact which emphasizes the
point that river and harbor improve
ments are OF more than local impor-
lance.
"The interest of the dwellers on
the lower Mississippi in the i'm
provements on the upper Mississippi
is direct, especially the people who
maintain the leyees. We cannot
maintain a 14foot channel from
Chicago to the gulf without first
forcing the river to keep in the
same channel, and that cannot be
done If the banks are permitted to
cave in, bends to be formed and cut
OF, and the channel allowed to
shift from this side to that. A IA
foot channel necessarily means
permanent bank, in other words, a
permanent levee. Under present con-
ditions the cost of rebuilding levees
that cave into the river Is tremen.
dous, and for this reason alone the
levee man is vitality interested in the
l4-foot project. Projects for river
and harbor Improvements are all re-
lated to the balance of similar pro-
jects in other sections OF the coun-
try, and the matter OF appropriations
for river and harbor improvements
must be considered a national and
not local cause
Something of the effect of river
transportation on freight rates APP
pears in the fact that points which
have communication with New Or
leans by the Mississippi can ship
cotton 800 miles for 81 to New Or
leans, whereas from points 800
miles from Galveston, where there is
no communication by water, the rate
is SO per bale.
IAN illustration of the necessity
OF water transportation TO some sec
tons OF the country was impressed
upon me In connection with the up
per Sunfiower river. There the rains
start in about Christmas and render
the roads running back from the
river to the railroad absolutely i'm
passable. The fact that the immedi-
ate bank of the, river Is higher than
the country farther back. as is true
in all alluvial countries, is chiefly re-
sponsible for this situation. The eff
feet was that when visited that
country in July ] saw piled up there
the seed cotton, that is, the ungin-
ned cotton of the year before. 1t
had been impossible. to get that cot
ton to the gin because the river was
In such conditions as not to furnish
facilities for transportation. Those
poor people have to depend on their
cotton for their subsistence, and
as II was they were living on credit,
which means paying a double price
for their daily necessities"
'As guide in making river and
harbor appropriations. the rule was
established that only 100000 out
of the twenty millions of the appro-
priation should be spent on Streams
bearing less than 100000 of
freight a year. but as matter Of
fact such streams are entitled to
greater consideration, and It does
not follow that because a stream is
Insignificant now il is going to be so
tomorrow. Thus, while some years
ago the Sunnower had a tonnage of
only $4,000 it had last year tom
mage of l3sfOO. The same applies to
MANY otha. krvara