The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1906-06-02
BLACK BAYOU DRAIN
AGE CONVENTION
Citizens and Planters Of Washington County
Discuss the Merits of the Black Bayou
Drainage Bll---Suryey to be Made

IL shOHid S4&DldSS the WnOIe county,
and when such bill is presented, |
+, am in favor It; but is it right for this
small district to be saddled with the
entire expense-saddled upon few
| for the benefit Of all IF this is the
idea | am against it. Again, l hold
1.-the drainage of this section IS a ben
EFT to the city and county, as well as
to the few landowners Of the dis
trict. The system will not injure
It's, | will admit. 1t is true, we can
get out through appeal in chancery,
but why should we be put to that ex-
pense2 Let the whole county share
| the burden to develop the garden
spot of the world He further said
that he understood the object OF
! the meeting was to discuss fairly
and honestly the measure SO that the
members OF the board of supervisors
who are to decide the measure could
! see the sentiment Of the people, ana
| if the majority favored it he was
democratic enough to bow to the
authority and pay his part without
a murmur He then discussed the
work necessary TO be done to accom-
j plish the task, and said the govern
n1ent should be called on to assist in
the undertaking by dredging Steele's
3 Bayou. Efe said that the question
4 was a deep one, demanded the best
thought, and We should not now make
a n1isstep or saddle a big debt upons
! the tax payers Of the district.
Capt w w. Stone followed Mr.
Spencer and showed the reasons that
prompted him to get up the bill and
present it before the last Legislature.
He discussed the good to come from
the bill and its great need to the
development Of this vast country.
4 L D..3, -, I
hurt single man in the district, as
at no time could it exceed ten cents.
He stated that the bill he discussed
with many landowners of the dis
trIct before he presented # IN the
Legislature, and could give their
names should any person come to
him and honestly desire to know
them. Capt. Stones speech showed
deep feeling and an honest motive
IN everything he did.
Hon. a. q 9axton then arose and
strongly opposed the passage Of the
Dill, not 50 much as to the cost, but
the manner in which it was passed
He did not believe Black Bayou could
ever be drained and when it was, the
lands were OF d poor quality. lie
said further. he did not believe in
taxing ourselves to make fortune
for some Illinois or Indiana syndi-
cate
Mr.. Percy asked him if he was not
opposed to levees. He stated he was
the way they were now built. He
said if he had the money and the
building OF them he would make life
safe behind them by building double
lines with cross sections. He then
/. closed his speech by giving three rea-
sons why he opposed the bill, and
offered the below resolution:
Resolved, That we are unaltera-
bly, opposed to the formation of the
Black Bayou drainage district, and
we recommend and urge upon the
: levy the tax provided, and to refuse
! to issue the bonds provided for in
/ the act incorporating said district.
: Resolved, That a committee of
chairman of this meeting to meet
the board Of Supervisors and present
] and urge our objections to them
{ Mr. Griffin asked Mr.. Percy some
questions Of law regarding the meas
, are. and being satisfied with his re-
| ply stated he represented two thou
. sand acres OF the land and was will
: ing to see survey made. He then
; offered, as a substitute to the Pax
: ton motion, the following:
Resolved That it IS the sense OF
(HlS meeting ludl the DodIu Ol SUI
| pervlsors, at its meeting III June, ap-
; point the commissioners provided for
in the Black Bayou drainage law. with
! authority to select a competent civil
engineer to make a survey of the
: territory involved in the proposed
drainage district, to make report
: at a future meeting of the board, the
{ cost of said survey not to exceed five
l thousand dollars.
Hon. Leroy Percy then answered
!. Mr. Paxton, and appealed to the
E meeting for a survey, and nothing
: more.
= A motion to table the substitute
was put to the convention and lost
' and the motion ordering survey
prevailed
The chairman then appointed the
! following gentlemen to represent the
meeting before the board next Mon
day: Fl. L. Foote, Joshua Skinner
IL. ]. Purnell, w. p Ratliff, A. G.
. . Paxton, William Griffin, p R. Bran
|. ton, B. O. McGee, John T. Casey and
. L. C. Hays.
Il The convention then adjourned.