Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1913-12-12
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

tors Joseph Il. hanSQeu or Louisiana
and Francis G. Newlands of Nevada.
both Democrats, disagree radically as
TO the governmental methods to be
employed to control the floods and to
regulate and control the flow of nav
igahle streams in the aid of interstate
commerce. There were sharp discus
sions of the question involved at the
tenth annual convention of the Ma
tional Rivers and Harbors congress-
which has just met in Washington
The whole subject of Mississippi
river improvement and the prevention
of the floods which have devasted the
Mississippi valley in recent years is
involved in this matter of difference
between two senators of the United
States, both of whom apparently are
trying to reach the same end by en-
tirely different means. Congress has
been asked to act and the debate on
the subject, especially as it affects the
Mississippi valley, will perhaps be
sharper in the senate than 1t was at
the meeting of the delegates of the
waterways congress.
Col G. Med. Townsend of the Unit
ed States engineer corps is the chair
man of the Mississippi river commits
sion. Apparently he is opposed ut
terly to Mr.. Newlands' plan, which
would provide for flood prevention and
protection by means of huge reser-
voirs for water storage purposes and
Me protection of water sheds from de-
mutation and erosion. Colonel Town
send seemingly, therefore, is opposed
to plans which have received the en-
would have reforestation and forest
IRE protection go hand in hand with
the work Of food prevention.
Colonel Tcwnsends Views.
In writing on the subject, partic-
nlarly as it relates to the Mississippi
river, Colonel Townsend says:
While of the opinion that levees af-
ford the only practicable method of
controlling the floods of the Missis-
sippi river, desire to state that l am
strongly in favor of both reforesta-
ton and reservoir construction, but
limited to the purposes for which they
are adapted. just as ! am In favor of
Reinforced concrete for small bridges
though not considering it applicable to
one spanning the lower Mississippi
river"
In the opinion of this engineer Off
Ger, the control of the lower Missis-
sippi by reservoirs is impracticable, If
not impossible, although he says there
are numerous smaller streams where
reservoirs can be used with excellent
results. He adds:
The systematic conservation and
regulation by the Federal government
of the river from its source to Its
mouth sounds most attractive, sug-
costing the scientific solution of every
problem of river hydraulics, but in
stead greatly fear that it is the voice
of the siren Turing the people to an
open pork barrel for every stream in
the United States"
Ransdeii is for Levees.
1t is probable that Senator Ransdell
represents the view of the people of
the lower Mississippi section and in
part the views of people of other Sec
lions. His belief is that the matter
must be kept in the main stream dur
ing the flood times and that it can be
kept there II the proper leyees are
built
The Newlands scheme is set forth in
bill in congress upon which the
voluminous report has been pre-
pared and published The Newlands
measure is called a bill ITO create
board of river regulation and to pro-
vide a fund for the regulation and
control of the flow of navigable river
in the aid of interstate commerce, and
as a means to that end to provide for
flood prevention and protection and
for the beneficial use of food waters
and for water storage and for the pro-
lection of water sheds from denuda-
ton and erosion and from forest fires
and for the cooperation of govern
ment services and bureaus with each
other and with states, municipalities
and other local agencies"
This is a broad bill. Its opponents
think that the plan involved would re-
quire too much time and too many
hands at work" and that results can
be reached more quickly and more
cheaply by what they call more d.
rect methods. The Newlands bill
provides for a government appropria-
ton of $4,000 each year for ten years,
making total of $5OO,000,000.
1t is said that the printed price
lists Of what holiday dinners were
to cost this dinner were respon-
sible directly for the proposal to
have another government inquiry into
the high cost OF living. The attorney
general already rs looking into the
nigh cost matters along various lines
OF supposed least resistance, and be-
fore the winter is ended it is proba-
Die that a committee Of congress or
an authorized commission will at
tempt to find out why prices are fly
ing so high A legislative attempt