Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-08-23
Presidents Report.
To the Honorable Board OF Commission
sioners for the Fifth Louisiana Leve
District:

10 the HOnOraDle DOaru Oh OOullnlSSlOn-
sioners for the Fifth Louisiana Levee
District:
GENTLEMEN-The Salem crevasse has
been let at 81 l-2 cents per cubic yard,
80 cents to be paid by the United States
Engineers, and Z 1-2 cents to be paid by
the District. 1t was necessary for the
District to supplement this contract to
save time and get the work under head
way to insure its completion before the
next high water.
The United States Engineer had an
allotment. of SIPS, 900, as the estimate
had been made before the water went off
the ground of 500, 900 cubic yards at a
price of % cents per yard; the measure
ment showed 100000 cubic yards and
the bids received averaged $500.
The United States Engineer agreed to
recommend to the River Commission an
allotment of S240, 900 for the closing Of
this crevasse, which left 1000, the
amount necessary TO do the work. 1t
was agreed between the United States En-
gineer and your President that he would
recommend to the Mississippi River Com
mission 30 cents per yard, and the Dis
trict was 10 pay Z 1-2 cents per cubic
yard.
Fortunately, there is a strong force Of
contractors on Salem: r. 7. Clark & Co.,
Iinnan Bros, Donovan & Daley, and
Helgason Bros, all experienced dirt
movers and financially able to increase
their~~outfits (which they have nearly
doubled) and can be crowded if need
arises. There are now PAP teams on the
work, and there will be 300 by Septem-
Der LIST.
The gulch at Salem washed out all the
way to the river bank and the bank of
blue-roll in the river bank. Water will
come through at 80 feet on the Vicks-
burg gauge, and it requires 81 feet on
the Vicksburg gauge, which it has done
very often during the past few years in
January.
GAZING BANKS
There is caving bank at Cottonwood
in East Carroll Parish; Morancy and
Duckport in Madison Parish and Cottage
Home in Tensas Parish, moderately; at
Cabin Teele in Madison Parish actively.
II is hoped that all these places will pass
another season; most, If not all of them
will need new levees before 1914 water
unless some radical changes take place.
AlIcT u COtllClClCC Va tliC DO0bC oAAtA
| United States EnAineers, and your Presi-
dent, it was decided to repair all the de-
fects, sand-boils, siepage and wave-wash,
which developed during the high water,
and to enlarge the following stretches OF
levee: Elton, Lake Providence, Good
rich, Willow Glen, White Oak Lake,
Raritan, Claggett, Harper-to-Kempe,
Scotland to- Morville, Fishpond, Union
Point-to- Point Breeze. Ii will require
more teams than are in sight in levee
outfits to do this work.
therefore urge planters to utilize their
idle teams, in either combining, and get
ting up outfits or supplementing the levee
outfits now at work and increase the
force which will be greatly needed to do
| the work contemplated and thereby doub-
ly beneftting themselves by protection
| against the wolf and high water.
This is a recess regular meeting, es-
pecially to act on the bond issue author
| lied by Act 1874 of 1912, and recommend
that there be offered $250,000 of the
$500, 900, of bonds authorized by said
Act, and that the bonds to be engraved
instead OF being autographed at not much
greater price. / also recommend that the
Executive Committee as provided in the
bylaws, arrange for the sale of this offer
of bonds by advertisement for sealed bids
TO be opened at the office of the Board
of State Engineers at New Orleans, La,
at the earliest possible time so action can
be taken to remit the taxes for 1912.
Great credit is due the Senators and
Representative from the District for their
activity and energy in having passed this
enabling Act
This issue Of $500, 900 and proceeds
from sale wills relieve the taxpayers of
the Districts of practically all the levee
taxes duringg 1912 and 1918, and enable
them to recuperate from the disasters OF
the 1912 food.
FEDERAL CONTROL.
The levee meetings scheduled for the
early fall to create sentiment tor increased
appropriations by the National Govern
ment and the eventual taking over of the
entire care OF the levees, is hoped will ac-
complish much towards this end, reliev-
ing the Taxpayers of the great burden
which they have so cheerfully and cour-
ageously borne in the past in building
levees for protection against the water
from the great sewerage ditch OF three
fourths of the United States which in
justice the National Government should
control.
Respectfully submitted,
j. i. MCCLELLAN,
President Board Of Commissioners, Fifth