Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-10-08
CONTROL OF THE MISSISSIPPI.


Within the last week or 80 there
have been several big gatherings in
different cities to discuss the Mississip-
pi river and its problem and promi-
nent men from all parts Of the country
have told what they thought should be
done to prevent recurrence Of the
disastrous floods Of this year.
All this is as 1t should be, for this
problem of river control is great big
one. It is a national problem, too, and
one Of interest to people in every part
Of the country. The control OF the
Mississippi is, of course, Of more vital
interest to those who dwell along its
banks than to people elsewhere; but 1t
is of direct interest to every state
drained by the great river, and Of in
dividual interest to all other sections.
Besides, the control Of food waters so
as to prevent the recurrence of the
great damage wrought by many
streams in recent years is almost as
important to those who live beside
some other rivers as to those who live
along the Mississippi. A few years ago
most of us would have hesitated to
say that the Mississippi could be con-
trolled, but with the progress Of the
work on the Panama canal we have
enlarged our ideas. There is now a
general demand that the government
go at this work of subduing the
mighty Father of Waters in dead ear
nest. And If it be possible to bring
the Mississippi under even partial
control, the handling Of flood problems
on most Of our rivers should be an
easy thing.
There is much discussion as to what
should be DONE Some say the levees
can be made high enough to keep the
flood In bounds; some that they can
not; some advocate storage lakes and
reservoirs, forest planting, ETC., at the
sources of the stream and its larger
tributaries as means Of holding flood
waters for irrigation or to facilitate
navigation in the dry season; others
declare that all this will count little.
We do not pretend to decide these ques-
tions for we do not know. Such deci-
sion must be made by expert engineers
after thorough investigation. While we
believe that the levees along the lower
stretches of the river should be sup
plemented by flood control measures In
the Rockies and the Appalachians, and
on the headwaters Of the smaller
streams of the Mississippi valley, we
are aware that our opinion Is OF slign.
value. OF one thing, however, we are
very positive. This is, that there
should be no pieceme;ll work. no nail
hearted dallying with the problem, no
large expenditure Of money until
complete plan has been carefully work.
ed out by competent men. Then there
should be no hesitation, because OF
money or time required, to take up the
work and carry it to completion. 1t Is
a great task,-greater, in all possibility
than the digging Of the Panama canal,
and Of many times as much value we
trust to see it made part of the ma
tion's programme of constructive work
for 1t must be done by the nation and
Is a work far too great to be thought
of as sectional.
Such a tremendous work Of real con-
servation will be everlasting honor to
The men who begin it and carry 1t
through. Every citizen, too, can be
a helper in it, If only by lending his in
fiuence toward making 1t popular
demand. For once 1t becomes evident
that the work can be done-that the
Mississippi floods can be prevented
the common-sense Of the American
people can be trusted to see that other
destructive rivers in all parts OF the
country are made more the co-work-
ers and less the terror Of those who
live beside them.-Progressive Farmer.