The Cairo bulletin., 1912-08-21
GET Busy.

States more vitality affected by
floods than Cairo. With the nations
two greatest rivers passing its
doors, the city is doubly menaced
every time the rivers rise, and that
it has escaped foundation In the past
doubtless could have been attributed
to the fact that when the Mississippi
aud Ohio rivers simultaneously
reached the hood crest. relief was
obtained through the breaking Of
levees above or below,
Cairo now plans to spend half
million and possibly more in raisiag
and Strengthening its levee system
while q movement is on foot to make
the levees between the Ohio's mouth
and New Orleans inpregnable. What
assurance has Cairo that posterity
will be protected BY the system OF
levees It is now planning to build
G. H. Maxwell, executive chair
man OF the National Reclamation as
ISOLATION, which Is fighting tooth
aud nail" for the Newlands-Bay
tholt River Regulation Bill, which
provides for the expenditure or
$500, 100000 in a period of ten con-
sccntive years for the building Of
source controls, addressed joint
meeting Of the three local organiza-
tions Monday night. Less than two
dozen members of the three organi-
cations attended. Whether this was
due tc Indifference or lack Of knowl-
edge Of the Importance Of Mr.. Max
wells visit are matters of coniec-
lure. However, Mr. Maxwell, who
has been making scientific study Of
the food problem for decade and
who is recognized as an authority,
solicited an invitation to return to
cairo at a later date and address
larger meeting. The Invitation was
not extended Monday night, but it
is to be hoped that no time will be
lost in arranging for another meet
ing III the early future
Men who have been studying the
flood situation for years virtually
agree that the building Of an i'm
rregnable levee system would give
only temporary relief, inasmuch as
the rivers food the channels woulG
gradually fill up and necessitate the
continual raising and Strengthening
Of the leveos until the time would
arrive. when every fiood-menaced city
in the Mississippi, Ohio and Mis-
souri, valleys would be surrounded
by leyees as high as mountains.
There are others, however, who
pooh-pooh this idea, but strange MS
it may seom they offer no explana-
tion Of the fact that the river beds
arc ever tillins, nor do they OFFER
any solution fer the correction Of
this condition The main opposition
to the reservoir system, advanced by
the advocates Of impregnable levees,
is the mogstrous cost of construc-
ton. Five hundred millions Of dol
lars Is vast sum, we win admit.
but il is intlnitesimal when com
pared to the vast losses in the past
and losses that must be borne bv
the people Of the valleys In the flu
ture unless some action is taken TO
control the foods at the river
sources.
What is 100000, 900 to this great
nation Of ours-the nation that Is
building the Panama canal-the ma
ton that can build s15,O00,00Q bat
tleships2 If the government is to
permit its rivers to overflow the
valleys as 1t has in the past. it will
not be long before the total losses
will have passed to the $500, 000,-
600 mark.
The Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri
valleys are worth more to the
United States than dozen Panama
canals or hundred SIS, 900 900
battleshlps and a billion dollars
would net be too much to spend to
protect the lives and property Of the
people who live III these sections.
The Notwithstanding bill does
not oppose any other river or leyee
Improvement movements. The peo-
PIC of the valleys can continue to
build their levees and they may need
them scores Of times before the vast
work contemplated in the measure is