The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1909-12-05
TIES OF HIS OFFICE.
TALKS OF RIVERS AND HkRD0nS
Is Confident Bill Will Be Passed for
the Improvement of the Mississippi
River Banks-Sunflower Also to Be
Improved.

Congressman Humphreys leaves to-
day for Washington, where he viii re- /
sunte his duties At the national capital /
MI. Humphreys goes alone, Tut will
ret;rn for the holidays, after which his |
family will 90 with him to Washing |
ton for the wu.er.
In resi- case 10 request for an in |
tcrview On the probable legislation by |
the coming session, Mr.. Humphreys |
said
The legislation of most immediate |
interest TO this district win be con
tanned in the rivers and harbors bill, |
which | think will surely be passed |
this session. We have had no rivers
and harbors bill for three years, and
1 am confident we will not let this very
important legislation go over again.
Our first interest, of course, is in the
Mississippi river, and l hope for a gen
erous provision for it. The Mississippi
river commission asked for an in
creased appropriation for revetment
and this is the matter of paramount
Importance to us. If we get the banks
revetted the levees will be permanent
barriers against floods from the river,
and the end of our long fight will then
be in sight.
There is no occasion to quarrel
sboul any particular depth in the chan
mel. II We make Tie banks permanent
by revetment, the channel Will scour
out depth beyond the requirements
of any vessel that will ever navigate
the river.
'There has been so much talk-un-
wise talk, in my opinion--about issu-
ing five hundred millions dollars ia
bonds and the Improvement of the Mis-
sssippi has been so associated in the
public mind with that wild scheme. that
the public has gotten the idea that the
bond issue will be necessary to provide
for the river. This is very unfortunate,
because it has raised up opposition to
all river Improvement and viii make
our work more difficult Every worthy
river in the country can be properly
cared for without the sale of single
bond, and the sooner this bond issue
talk ceases the better for all river in
terests
ct hope also to secure favorable con
sideration for the Big Sunfiower. This
is very worthy project. and l believe
congress will take this view of it.
Steele s Bayou has been examined by
the engineers and a favorable report
made on it, and l hope for an appro
pria ion sufficient to clean it out from
it's mouth up to Washington Bayou ana
through ii into Lake Washington. This
in addition to the navigation interests
served, will very materially aid in the
drainage of the Black Bayou swamps
Bear creek, in Leflore and SunAowcr
counties. has also been examined and
approved by the engineers, and it. too
/ hope. will be provide for. These are
the matters of more particular signii-
cance to us that wiz be before congress
this winter, in addition, of course, to
the matters of wider interest which af
feet the nation at large.
There is another matter not alto
gether pertinent to your inquiry, but
nevertheless important to this congres
sional district. which | think ought &
be attended to, and that is the amend
ment of our primary law 80 as TO en-
able us In the Delta 20 fix a dav either
earlier later than Aug. 20 for hold
ing our congressional primary. AS i
is, at least thousand yoters-and
believe the number is larger than thai
are always absent on election day
The district committee last yea
adopted resolution calling upon tn
legislature to authorize this change. an
I hope our representatives at Jaekso
this winter will take it up