The Cairo bulletin., 1912-07-21
Wen Win or Bust.

sVC II w III VI ouSt'
The committee of citizens, which
went. I'd washington following tht
recent feed, to solicit aid from tn,
gov 1enmeHt for the raising ant
st-ea gthea:ng Of the Cairo levet
ter. certainly Is to be commended
for ils excellent work This com
fo ttas accomplished what no other
noaenittea was able to do. and thar
acconplishmA emf was to have a
sree.el approximation made for Cairo
d Ell after tie Rivers and Harbors
II had haen finally drawn UP and
sdbu I'd \
Several weeks after the special
committee had started working the
wires in the capitol city, the Mis-
4 saiHpi River Commission held a
meeting IN IS. Louis, at which plans
for spending an emergency appro
priation of about million and a
half dollars was discussed. More
Thar dozen. cities in the Mississippi;
Valley were represented and the
claims filed by the committees ag
g-egated four times as much money
as the commission has to spend for
levee Improvement work
No other city obtained a speeifit
q Precipitation for levee improve,
,nent work and that the committee
from Cairo was able to do so Is
nothing~short lof miraculous.s.alAail
that remains to make the Cairo
amendment a law, is the signature
of President Taft. There is hardly
any possibility that opposition viii
develop from this source. The com
mittee won the hardest part of the
battle when the House conferees
agreed on the bill and the amend
ment.
Cairo must lose no time In devils
ing means of raising fund o.
$3.50, zoe, as required by clause ir
the amendment. 1t has been rumor
ed that one Of the railroad com
pnnies, which was among the great
est OF sufferes through the inunda
tion Of the Drainage District. has
indicated that 1t will not pay any
portion of rebuilding the levees
This does not seem cerdible and un
8l~ss confirmation Of the rumor came
direct from the railroad company
headquarters, 1t would be hard tf
convince us of the truth OF the re
port
The recent food was costly to TIL,
railroad companies entering Cairo
net only because of the vast amount
of money expended in fighting tn
Hood and repairing subsequent dam
ace to tracks and entertainments. BIZ;
also because of the vast sum OF
money lost through the cessation OF
business. 1t is reasonable to believe
that the various railroad companief
would find it advantageous to heir
protect their property from futur
high water periods. The share eac
corporation would have to pay ii
making tie contemplated improve
ments would not amount 10 near ay
much as their losses during III,
food Nh
Cairo has spared no energy in is
battle forithe Drainage District, nor
has 1t eTar shown an saeltngtio ion vi
seek reimbursement from that sourc,
Ter the enormous expenditures /,
Tade in fighting the food. However
the Drainage District must not de
pend upon Cairo to pay its share d
the proposed improvements. TIL,
Drainage District will have to ado
Its share TO the big fund and II
should dosso without murmur OF
complaint ,inasmuch as the propert,
owners IN that section will derive
the greatest benefits from an AIDE.
quate levee system.
Cairo has been kind to the Drain.
age District. It not only burdened It,
taxpayers to pay for labor and ma.
terial used in trying to save tn,
district from inundation but its
citizens worked on the levees as Ions
o. there was glimmer Of hope.
Let us all get together with tina,
win or bust spirit. Our past ex
pcrlence With the angry rivers ha,
served TO teach us the value of 3
perfect ievee system--it has shown
us that natures powers are too grea,
tor our present safeguards; in fact
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