The Prescott daily news., 1912-09-07

in the past two years, according to a complaint prepared on behalf of the wholesale fruit and produce men of this city against the railways en tering this city, in which rebate ot the excess charge Is asked. The com plaint declares it has it's foundation upon an agreement made with the railways three years ago that the Little Rock rate should be the basis for the rate from certain defined points.
 ROBINSON AT FAYETTEVILLE. The Mississippi county Democrats turned out in force to hear the Dem ocratic nominee for governor on Aug ust 27th. Mr. Robinson delivered a strong Democratic speech and was greeted frequently with applause He spoke on
 Government Ownership of Levees as follows:
 The subject of levees, their con struction, maintenance and control is especially important to the residents of the St. Francis Basin. The Mis- sissippi river drains approximately 40 per cent of the entire area of conti- mental United States. It Is difficult to grasp the importance and extent of the territory drained by this great river. From a productive agricultural standpoint, the Mississippi basin is the richest part of the republic. All the staple products grown in temper ate climate are produced here in abundance. Cotton, corn, wheat, rice, potatoes, rye, barley, fruits of every variety, hay, live stock, are but a part of the tribute of this mighty sec tion of our country to the comfort of mankind.
 The time has come when general system looking toward the control Of the flood waters of the Mississippi should be devised, not alone for the overflow. but also for the utilization of these waters In the generation of power. The time Is speedily coming when the Mississippi Valley will in- deed become the granary of the world, It already exceeds the valley of the Nile in fertility. Its possibilities can neither be foreseen nor foretold.
 "Leves and drainage channels have already performed an important part toward the reclamation of the valley They are destined in the future to increase in importance.
 The task of retaining the Missls- sippi Valley from overflow is in one aspect national The flood waters of the lower valley come down from nearly half of the entire country through streams which find their sources in remote States. The task of maintaining levees Is too great for the localities immediately affected. | The Federal Government Is already, under its power to control navigation, contributing to the construction and maintenance of the levees on the low CT Mississippi. The time is at hand when it should with the consent of the levee States, assume control oE the entire Mississippi river levee sys- 1 tein.
 Federal control is desirable for many reasons. It will assure uni formity of plan and purpose. Under the existing system, some degree of uniformity has been brought about by means of conferences between repre- sentatives of the different levee sys tems along the Mississippi. It Is clear, however, that if the govern ment assumes control, new levees will be located on permanent lines with a view to maintaining the sys | tenn as whole Again, Federal cor trol will, in the end. guarantee the protection of the valley from over flow. While 1t is not contemplated that the entire burden of the, ex | pense shall fall on the nation, 1t is true that the Federal Government ha; the resources to provide adequatc levees, to re-enforce them speedily when threatened, and to protect ther from damage and destruction. Anota CT advantage from Federal contro will be the elimination of politics an( petty rivalries and jealousies which now embarrass local boards and mallr them in this State a menace to gooC | government.
 How is Federal control to b' brought about? Commissioners froT each of the levee States authorized by conventions or by the legislatures of the States interested in levee'