Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-05-31

hundred feet along this stretch. There
was no defect in the levee itself and the
cause of the crevasse was not Of nature |
TO shake the confidence that earth en- |
bankments can and will confne the wa
tiers of the Mississippi river when money
enough is provided to allow the engineers
to so prepare the foundation and give
such section and grade as they know are
required. But inadequate funds made
necessary the old adage 'cut the garment
according to: the CLOTH" there have been
essentials lett undone and only the sheer
est nakedness has been covered.
Enough of looking back, the present is
here, and the future is ahead to do and
prepare. The combined waters of the
eastern and western tributaries of the
Mississippi river coming out at once has
broken the record of height at all the
places where conditions were not relieved
by some crevasse in the vicinity, and the
record of duration of high stage every
where has been broken.
The calamity has been appalling, the
loss almost complete, the tragedy start
ling and the crucifxion of the jewellers
of the valley has been the full limit OF
cruelty which the elements can inflict.
Corporations are said to have no souls;
the natural elements have neither heart
or soul.
All great movements have to be found
ed on sacrifice and the water of 1912 in
its great devastation has attracted the at
tention Of the whole United States, and
awakened it to the necessity of protect
ing the valley and controlling the great
sewerage of the major portion of this con-
. tinent. / use the word protecting adj
visedly, the bill now before Congress is
, the first in the history of leyee building
which has set aside for direct levee build
ing and directing that so much must be
expended in building and repairing Of
= levees.
Therefore out of the great travail of the
Mississippi valley there will be ushered
in an assumption by the general govern
ment of its responsibility of controlling
the Mississippi river and protecting the
alluvial lands from overflow. 1t has been
recognized as economy, as well as hui
mainly to make the protection by levees
certain.
Two potent reasons why the general
: government should take charge of levees
= are:
First, Ievees are interstate, one inter-
dependent on the other. Crevasses in the
st. Francis basin bring an accumulation
of water back on Mississippi and Arkan-
sas levees; crevasses in Mississippi bring
:, back at Vicksburg an accumulation which
:. / puts a strain on the fevees IN Louisiana
:, crevasses in Arkansas and Louisiana
= north of Red river send rush to over
top the levees south of that river. The
general government could establish and
adopt such an embankment that each
. would protect and help the other.
Second, the proposition of providing
"a the necessary funds is too great for loca
property owners to contend with.
The United States claims entire owner
! ship of the Mississippi river, it ought
therefore, to control it and not allow i
= to trespass on private property.
= However, in urging that the genera
= government provide the funds for build
: ing and repairing the levees, it would b
! unwise now TO abandon the local organi
n cations, for there are some things thu
United States engineers cannot do in re
= pair, maintenance and quickness of exc
70 cution; besides there must be organize,
-, effort to keep alive the sentiment whicl
will be necessary to uphold the hands o
!: the advocates of river and harbor i'm
- provements in Congress. There has beeI
no more powerful influence in gaininI
recognition or increased appropriation
for rivers and harbors than the nationa
rivers and harbors congress, of whicl
Hon. Jos. E. Ransdell has been presi
dent for six years, by creating a senti
- ment in favor of appropriations for thi
: purpose.
After The subsistence of the high waite
of 1912 there will be greater immediat
VI need of funds than usual, besides repai
the channel will, as it always does, max
changes, caving banks necessitating neV
" levees, enlarging those which the grea
y" leveler, the high water, has shown shout
!, =, have the greater grade, remedying defect
" which seip has disclosed. With late crops
us and probably small ones, how are tn
* taxes to be paid? The produce tax wi
us be according to the crop; and if there
70 a small crop, how can the other taxes b
paid? Because of several lean years a
nc the planters are dependent on each crop
." where then will the revenue come from
/ recommend that the usual taxes b
not assessed, for the present. However,
recommend bond issue; that the legis
lature now in session be asked to author
ize the levee board to issue one-hah mil
lion dollars per cent 1850 year bond
~