The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-08-02
s1DE.sTFPpING THE LOCKS.

SIDE-STEPPlNG The LOCKS.
The AtehAfalaya and Lafourche
leyee boards 8haYe again side-stepped
the question: OF lock construction at
the head of Bayou Lafourehe, and are
evidently BENT upon repeating the
performance as often as the issue
confronts them if the recalcitrant ma
jority are permitted to have their
own way about it.
At the joint meeting of the boards
held in DonaldsonVille July q, a
resolution offered by Commission
er F. B. Lemann of this parish, au-
thorizing the presidents of the two
organizations to call upon the United
States engineers and ascertain what
progress has been made toward pre-
pairing plans for the locks, was ia
bled by a vote of IL to 2, Commits
sioner Robert Martin, Jr., of Assump-
ton being the only member besides
Mr.. Lemann to support the PROPOSE
tion. The Atchafalaya board, in
which Ascension has no representa-
ton, voted solidly in the negative.
It will be remembered the levee
boards appropriated $4,000 some two
years ago to cover the cost of sur
yey and preparation of lock plans
and specifications under the supervl-
sion of Col. Lansing Beach, then the
United States engineer in charge OF
this district Col. Beach was OF the
opinion that plan of construction
could be devised that would justify
contractors in undertaking the work
at a much lower figure than could be
done according to the plans and spe-
cifications upon which bids had been
previously invited, and the leVee
boards seemed glad to have the OPP
portunity of availing themselves OF
the engineers valuable services IN
this direction.
The people interested in the status
of Bayou Lafourehe and the restora-
ton of its nayigable connection with
the Mississippi river, and all the tax
payers of the two levee districts as
well, are entitled to know whether
the $4,000 or any part of the sum was
expended, and with what result, and
none of the objections urged against
Mr.. Lemanns resolution can justify
the levee boards in refusing to OBJ
tain this information and impart it
to their constituents.
In reply to Mr.. tenants citation
of the legal and moral obligation
resting on the leyee boards to con-
struct the locks, Commissioner Hor-
ace Wilkinson of West Baton Rouge
contended that they were under even
a greater moral and legal obligation
to furnish levee protection, and there
will be no disposition on anybody S
part to deny that this is their first
and most important function and duty
No amount of argument or special
however, can obscure the
fact that theslevee boards are bound
by every consideration of honesty and
fair dealing to provide for the substi-
tuition of locks for the Bayou La
fourche dam at the earliest practical
Bile time. The permission granted by
the state and the federal governs
ments for the erection of this dam
was based on the promise that the
obstructIo1n would be replaced by
locks. NO honorable individual seeks
to eVade or repudiate his promises,
and there is no distinction to be
made between an individual and
levee board in this regard.
Commissioner r. e. Perez of Pla-
quemines deprecated any agitation of
the subject for fear the attention of
congress might be attracted and
lead to legislation compelling the
construction of the locks.
This objection is tantamount to
candid admission Of the contractual
obligation Of the boards to build the
locks and a confession also of the
evasive and dilatory policy which is
being pursued with reference thereto.
The best way to forestal1 possible
peremptory action by congress or the
war department is to be open and
showing of good intent. If it can be
demonstrated that the construction of
the locks is beyond the ability and
resources of the levee districts, there
will be more reason to look for feder-
al aid in the accomplishment of the
task than to fear the employment OF
oppressive OF. coercive measures to
compel recognition and fulfillment OF
the deliberate promise and agree
ment made as a condition precedent
to closing the Lafourche. It is up to
the levee boards to take: steps either
to provide the locks Or prove that
the work is impracticable Of accom-
plishment under existing conditions,
and if this duty is not performed
willingly, there ought to be means
found and invoked to make its per-
Torrance compulsory.
RIGHTEOUS RESULT.