The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-08-02
MAI. KERR ON SPILlWAy.
(Banner Dem0crat.)

Upon his return Saturday morni q
from the meeting OF the Mississippi
river commission in st. Louis, Major
Frank NJ. Kerr, state engineer, issued
the following statement in defense of
his step against the proposition OF a
spiilway for food control in the lower
Mississippi river.
"With regard to some statements
which appeared in the press OF yester-
day and today about the public hearing
given day before yesterday in st. Louis
by the Mississippi river commission. 1t
might be we'll to make myself some
what more clearly understood than
might otherwise be inferred from the
account given.
"First Of all, do not understand
Mayor Berhman, or any OF the gUtle-
men submitting papers on the subject
to the Mississippi river commission,
openly and finally advocated spillways
as sure means OF relief from high
water on the lower Mississippi river.
They simply submitted that the propo-
sition, as presented, appealed to them
as source OF relief, and urged surveys
Investigations and study of the subject,
with view of resorting to it if found
practicable and feasible by the commits
on.
1.-THE position took was simply that
no departure, at this time, f.om the
well formulated plans Of the commits
sion for bank protection and levees
would prove wise.
"The advocates OF the spillway prop
ositions themselves admitted in their
address that they did not know that it
would prove fruitful of material bene.
fetal results. 1t, therefore, follows
that the proposition can at best, in' its
present form, be accepted only as an
experiment.
NO TINE FOR EXPERIMENTS.
"This is no time for experiment. es-
Pecially where it promises TO result in
fhe diversion of la. ge sums of money
from present compI extensive and legiti-
mate purposes.
1.-The spillway proposition for the
relief OF the lower Mississippi river, in
times OF flood. is no new one. 1t is as
old as the floods themselves, ard was
passed upon and shelved long ago.
"Tiat the levee system can be made
effective is, in my mind, beyond ques
ton.
"ln 1882, there were some 300 Gre
vases in the lines Of ievees in Louisi-
ana. the aggregate width OF which was
some sixty miles, and soiue Is per cent
OF the ailuvial land of the state was
submerged. These crevasses were.
with the aid--the first material aid
from the federal government closed,
and the system generally improved be-
fore the next high water, with less Gre
vase and less overflow with each sue
ceeding season, with long periods even
OF exemption. until 1912, when, with
the hi hest water of rec I'd, there were
three crevasses on the Mississippi side
OF the river in Louisiana, affecting some
% per cent OF the low lands, and in 1913
one crevasse affecting less than 3 per
cent: In 1912, the assessed valuation
Of the state was s2JO, 100000. After the
high water OF 1912 it was $3.50, OO0, 900 ,
three-fifths of which enhanced in values
occurred in the alluviai lands OF the
state subject to overflow.
"This certainly marks great improve
ment, and gives strong evidence that
with adequate means the system can
and will be made equal to any occasion.
al, therefore. stand for Confinement
by means of levees and bank protection
first, last, and all the time.
AS for the spillway, at least such !
spillway as would insure any materlal
lowering of flood levels on tile lower
Mississippi river, I cannothclplikenihg
i it it to a creyasse in disguise. The OILY
teal diliereacc bctwecn d subway, "a