Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-12-17
KENNEL SAYS WRIGHT WILL AID PINE BLUFF.
Prominent Republican Leader of Arkansas Writes Monsg. J. M Lucey Regarding Pine Bluff River situation-Monsg Lucey Outlines Two Principles to Be Followed in River Front Improvements Should Retain the Arkansas and Make the Banks Perman- ently Safe. x

: at Pine Bluff and not on the oppo- {site side of the river; secondly, the river bank in front of the city should ibe so protected that no further en- lcroachments Will be possible and this fact should be so palpable that .everyone interested in the matter can .see that it is so. A calamity like the present one has some features of an epidemic, when fright will frequently do more harm than the disease I have , used all the influence that l possessed to prevent property owners on the
 north side of Second avenue fronl moving their dwellings to other sites. But while telling these people that the danger from the present rise is, practically over it was also necessary Ito say that they should watch the work on the river bank and satisfy themselves that sufficient protection is assured to save their property from .any attack of the next or subsequent Erises in the Arkansas river. If the Ipeople living on the north side of
 East Second avenue are not able month or two from now to feel per fleet confidence in the work on the river bank, they will make an exodus I to higher land When the regira be- ,gins, it may become a panic. It is therefore necessary to determine definitely the plan of work
 i, Pine Bluff must retain the Arkansas l river or forfeit it's present and future
 commercial importance The river must also be retained in manner not to injure other people. If the waters are denected to point north east of the city, they may return with a full force lower down and enter the old waterway of Noble's Lake. If the land on the Boyd place, opposite the icity is all wasted away there will be no landing place for railroad bridges that will be built ill time, unless the expensive plan of Galveston, Texas, 1 is employed, where causeWays six miles long were built. Every effort ] is liable to lead to disastrous results tof some kif1d
 The river should be kept in it's bpresent channel but the South bank fShould be protected not only by dykes land revetments but also by an em banking of piling or more durable resist any attack of the waters If this were done the channel Of the river being near the bank would not be an injury but an advantage and
 the land on the opposite side of the river could be reclaimed
 To do the work which present necessities require, according to the above outline, will call for an annual expenditure of $100,00O for five years. For many years the city of Galveston shrank from spending one million
 dollars to protect it's water front and was finally forced to spend twenty
 million CT abandon the place. Ii another rise of the Arkansas should come soon, East Third avenue would be in a situation like that which now lconfronts Second avenue. Instead of Ia $50O,000 loss, it would be q million dollars and the blow would injure
 Pine Bluff for many years.
 The Federal Government will not likely do more than half the work that is demanded and what it may do will be done according to it's own
 good pleasure and in its own time.
 To others as vel las myself, the pre- sent seems to be a case in which lefty. county and State should lend ! hand. The legislature will soon be
 in session and whatever authority
 may be wanting to any department would be granted. When the people
 of Pine Bluff are unanimously ;n
 favor of keeping the river and pro- tecting the banks and the question has resolved itself into a matter of dol lars and cents, there will not be very
 great difficulty in attaining this ob ject.
 J. M. LUCEY.