The Forrest City times., 1912-10-04
NO. f..

HOt SILK us uuIy. Governor Donaghey of Arkansas and Governor-Elect Joe T. Robinson of the same state. were among the other speakers at the convention. Mir. Rob- inson declared that the various levee districts should no longer be treated as separate projects but should be united into one great system under federal supervision
 Since any levee system is fatally defective If weak at any point" he said. it seems logical that these va rlous leyee districts should either be consolidated and the whole placed under national control or the various state levees supervised by federal | board, designated to bring about uni. formity in the levees for the entire Mississippi river system. Either federal control or federal supervision involves many local and important problems which will require time for solution.
 The federal government, with the consent of the state interested, can effectively survey and supervise con- struction and maintenance with view. to establishing permanent lines and giving the leyees the necessary strength and consistency as a whole. Before this can be done, however. many questions must be answered
 Tn addition to uniformity, federal control of the Mississippi river levees fat M 1xP (. nancial support. It Is .inconceivabls that the government would withhold reasonable and necessary appropria- ton for adequate protection against floods, if once it assumed responsi. bility.
 Federal aid may be justified on two grounds: The alluvial overflow lands of the Mississippi valley consti- ute national asset continually in- ereasing in value. The task of recla- nation is, therefore in it's broadest aspect national, not local. Moreover, to impose the whole burden on the property within the flooded area will greatly delay the completion of d safe and sufficient system of levees and almost confiscate the property sought to be reclaimed"
 The following telegram from Presi- dent Taft was received by o. N. Kill tough, president of the association and was read before the conventlon: 70. N. killough, President Interstate
 Levee Association, Memphis. Tenn:
 T regret my enforced absence from your interstate levee convention. shall be much interested in it's re- suits.
 Recent events have shown urgent need for better cooperation between the federal government and the indi- vidual states of the Union, as we'll as between the states themselves, in matters of leve construction. bank protection, drainage canal and irriga- tion canal work within the valley of the Mississippi ard it's tributaries.
 The importance of the subject is increasing so rapidly that for the next few years the urgent and meritorious demands of the Mississippi river val ley will require all the funds that can be spared from both the federal and separate state treasuries, and prob ably more legal facilities than now exis. under federal and state constitu- tions.
 " our association can help much in bringing about the additional state legislation necessary for the best cor poration, and in creating a strong, healthy public opinion as to a proper division of expenses and work between all parties concerned.
 You have my best wishes in such work and in tne future prosperity of your valley. William H. Taft"
 Major T. c. Dabney, chief engineer of the upper Yazoo leve district, who is regarded as one of the best inform ed men in the country on the subject of leyees, in an address before the convention, went exhaustively into the building of levees and the protec- ton of caving banks.
 Col. C. NJ. D. Townsend, president or the Mississippi River Commission, took the position that the construc-
 
 schemes for controlling the flood wat CTS, will not accomplish the desired results and that the building of levees and the revetment of the river banns provide the only solution of the prob lem.
 O. N. Killough. president of the St. Francis Levee Board of Arkansas. vas reelected president of the as. sociation. W. l.. Park. vice president of the Illinois Central railroad; E. F. Bush, president Of the Missouri Pacific Iron Mountain system. and J. N. Blaz- CT of Chicago were elected vice pres,- dents at large and vice president was named for each state touched by the Mississippi river. A paid secre- tary is to be employed and campaign o} publicity and education will ba made.