Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-06-07
'LEYEE OFFICIALS
 MEET Al CAPITAL Arkansas Improvement As sa>ciation l0rganized to
 Canalizs the River.
RESOLUTION
W. +. COleman,s of Pine Bluff, Secre. y-|Want River Commission
 to Extend LabOrs.


 convention hall of the Hotel Marion ln the city of Little Rock, Arkan sas on this June 6, 1912, at o'clock D m, there wias present representatives from ten levse d stricts along the Arkansas River. J. R. Alexander of Pulaski County was upon motion elected President of the Association w. F. Coleman, of Jefferson County was elected Secretary.
 Upon suggestion of Geo. Russ Brown, H. F. Auten, of Little Rock, addressed the Convention on the necessity of keeping the Arkan- sas River open for navigation, on ac- count of the tremendous freight rates by railroad obtaining ill this state. He stated that there never was favorable report made by the Government. engineer on the Arkan- lsas River until within the last three years, when thep reported that this river should be held to it's channel and locAs and dams built, and that the project was entirely feasible. He further stated that the banks should be protected from caving and the river strengthened, and the sand bars removed. That the Government should send it's experts here and de- termine what is necessary to be done, and that we expect to ask Fur senators and representative to ad- vpcate a., systematic improvement of the Arkansas River, and: push the necessary appropriations to this end. He asked that every man present and his friends get back of tbis, proposi- tion A.f
 Congressman Joe T. Robinson was called upon. and addressed the Con- vention. He said he took it for granted that everybody understood the importance of this movement. but it was necessary to take some practical steps toward getting the Federal Government to take charg of the Arkansas River and tho levees there along He said to make the permanent improvement neces- sary, it would take approximately $20.0CO,C00 and that congress only took charge of levees in cases where it was necessary, in the interest of navigation. As for bank protection, there ase now applications for aid befoie the Government aggregatfng more than a billion dollars. He though the only practical way fer us to induce the Government to extend it's operation Up the Arkansas River, is to get the Mississippi River Com- mission to take congniz2nce of the matter, and take up the work. He said, let these interested get the matter well in hand and present 1t to the Mississippi River Commission; that there was growing disposition on the part of Congress to have the Mississippi River Commission to take charge of the levees along the Miss issippi River, and th:.s work might be extended to the Arkansas River as a tributary of the Mississippi River. The Government makes i-s appropriations for navigation pur- poses, and then the Mississ 'ppi River Commission expends this fund, or a least part Of it. He said he stood ready to do anything in his power to aid the movement, and that it was impossible by taxation against the To- cal community to build levees- strong enough to give the protection need~ cd.
 George Russ Brown read com- munication from the Arkansas Press Association. the Arkansas Real Estate Asso citation, the Arkansas Advance ment Association and the Little Rock Board of Trade assuring the con- ven,ioa of their cooperation and hearty support in the work.
 Jack Bernhardt moved that the thanks of the Association be extend- ed to the above organizations for their communications, which motion was adopted.
 Mir. Bernhardt read resolution prepared by him calling upon tn a- Government to aid in this work.
 After some discussion. the resolu- tion referred to committee of five as follows: J. E. Little, J. M. Oracle. Jack Bernhardt. w, F. Coleman and J. R. Alexander.
 The foregoing committee sreporteds the following resolutioh which was unanimously adopted by the conven- tion:
 Whereas, the inundations of the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers.l