The Green Forest tribune., 1912-10-04

Only the federal government has such control, and the federal government must not shirk its duty.
 Governor Donaghey of Arkansas and Governor-Elect Joe T. Robinson of the same state, were among the other speakers at the convention. MT. Rob irson 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 rious leyee districts should either be consolidated and the whole placed under national control or the various state levees supervised by a 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 levees the necessary strength and consistency as a whole. Before this can be done, however,
 
 ''In addition to uniformity, federal control of the Mississippi river levees will inevitably result in national fi- nahcial support It is inconceiyable that the government would withhold reasonable and necessary appropria- tion 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- tute national asset continually in- creasing 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 complc ion of q safe and sufficient system of levees and almost confiscate the property sought to be reclaimed" ;"
 The following telegram from Presl- dent Taft was received by o. N. Xiii tough, president of the association and was read before the convention: 70. N. Killough, President Interstate
 Leyee Association, Memphis, Tenn:
 q regret my enforced absence from your interstate levee convention. I shall be much interested in it's re- suits.
 Recent events have shown urgent need for a better cooperation between the federal government and the indi- vidual states of the Union, as well as between the states themselves, in matters of leve cons truction, bank protection, drainage canal and irriga- tion canal work within the valley Of the Mississippi and 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 nov exist under federal and state constltu- %ons.
 Your association tn 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 leye district, who is regarded as one of the best inform ed men in the country on the subject convention, went exhaustively into the building of levees and the protec- ton of caving banks.
 Col. c. M. D. Townsend, president Of the Mississippi River Commission, took the position that the construc. tion of reservoirs and other proposed 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 banks provide the only solution of the prob. lem.
 o. N. Killough, president of the St. Francis Levee Board of Arkansas. was reelected president of the as- sociation. W. L. Park, vice president of the Illinois Central railroad; B. F. Bush, president of the Missouri Pacific Iron Mountain system, and J. N. Blaz- CT of Chicago were elected vice presi- 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 of publicity and education will be made.
 McAlester, kla.-Imprisonmen for Is hours in the burning Bolan-Darnell