East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-04-21
.S6O,OOO,OOO TO
PREVENT FLOODS
CONGRESS APPROPRIATES
BIG AMOUNT OF MONEY
Government Will Spend Enormous
sum Over Period of Five Years to
Prevent Floods in the Mississippi
and to Improve NavigatiOn-Levees
Will he Strengthened.

Washington, D. c., April 21.-
(SpeciaD the score or more bills
introduced during early days of the
first session of the sixty-third con-
gress. and which probably have es-
capped attention by reason of the
change in the administration of the
government, providing for the relief
of flood sufferers in the Ohio and
Mississippi Valleys for flood preven-
tiCn through the building of reser-
voirs, for the deepening of rivers, etc,
probably none will command more
general attention than the bills intro
duced by Senator Ransdell of Louis
willie and Representative Humphreys
Of Mississippi on the first day of the
session appropriating funds to pre-
vent floods on the Mississippi river
and to improve navigation.
These bills are identical and pro-
vide for an expenditure of $60,000,
coo to cover a period of five years,
100000 to be made available Ju-
/ ly /, 1914. OF this s12,000,000 and
for every year thereafter until the
full amount is authorized, three
fourths, or $9,000,000, are to be used
each year for the protection, repair
and construction of levees and the bal
ance for bank revetment work and
for work in the interests of naviga-
| ton.
The appropriation of this large sum
of money, however, is conditioned up
on the states, or levee districts inter-
ested appropriating a sum equal to
third allotted to each district af-
fected by the bill.
This amount, carried over period
of five years, it is believed, will COM
plete and so strengthen the levees be-
tween Cape Girardeau and the head
of the Passes as will give immunity
| from everything but extraordinary
| floods. and safeguard against such
! floods as that of last year and the one
now sweeping down the valley.
In this connection, it may be said
| that the bill embodies the ideas Of
the Mississippi river commission,
which has been studying this vast
stretch of water for upwards of thirty
years. and it contains the best thought
! of the best minds of the Mississippi
valley. brought in frequent consulta-
| ton to devise a practical plan for the
prevention Of flood devastation,
According to figures obtained from
the Board of Engineers of the U. S,
Army. the present levee system on the
Mississippi has cost about $91,0OO,O ,OOO
of which the local communities have
! furnished more than two-thirds
which. with an addition of 100000
600 as proposed by the bills of Sena-
tor Ransdell and Representative Hum
phreys. would make a total of $151,-
| 600. 900 The expenditure of this sum
will have extended over more than a
half century.
on the basis of 100000 acres
protected, there being about 100000
acres at the mouths of various tribu-
taries of the river which are not sus-
ceptible of easy protection, this would
mean an average cost to reclaim this
magnificent land of less than nine
I dollars per acre. Contrast with this
the splendid work of the reclamation
service. According to Professor F. H
! Newell. chief Of the service, about l.
! 600. 900 acres have been reclaimed am
/ 100000 acres are in process of re-
clamation at an expenditure of about
/ $4,000, OOO or an average cost OF
forty dollars per acre.