The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-10-02
al elo Bankers Of the Country
u, il the Crusade for Govern
,,ent Supervision Of the
Project.
tHE BILL IN CONGRESS
l,u,deII-Humphreys Measure Calls for
sixty Million Dollars to Com
plete the Great
Work.

rOl OF the loFeSo "ion6 eAAO ~ !" -
Mississippi river and their completion
4 the national government has been
Endorsed again by class OF men
rbose opinions on such matters are
Ierhaps even more conservative than
Nose of the mayors, governors and
thers who have approved the project.
rhis time the bankers of the country
ne officials of the largest banks in
he hest cities from Maine to Call
ornia and Canada to the gulf have
aid what they think of the bill that
Eas introduced at the last session OF
kongress by Messrs. Ransdell and
Humphreys and which is being fos-
erred by the Mississippi River Leyee
Association.
AS was the case with the governors
II the various states, the mayors OF
200 cities, and the different COM
hercial organizations throughout the
ountry, the bankers are unanimously
or the control of the lower Missis-
ppi river floods by the government
Several are strongly in favor OF the
eyee proposition while others do not
commit themselves to plan Of flood
protection but agree that immediate
Teton by the government is necessary
Several Of these bankers will assis,
he Mississippi River Levee Associa
bon In aiding the ell-Humphreys
measure to pass. Offers to do wha'
khey could and their services at ths
direction of the association were con
kained in several letters received re
GENTLY by the association.
The Atlanta Clearing House Asso
citation sent letter signed by all o
the members. 1t endorsed the leye'
proposition in strong terms.
Believing, as we do" say the AT
lantans, "that the United States gov
|ernment should contribute largely, !
mot solely, to the protection
of the property through whic.
the great Mississippi river flows
we earnestly desire to lend gu
cooperation In pushing to success
full issue the bill which the peopl
living in the states adjacent to TIL
mississippi have introdaced in col
gress.
Since the people living in thes
etates have already spent nearly $40
100000 in their efforts to cope wit
the floods. we feel that 1t Is only rigl
and just for the government to com
forth and furnish the necessary sec
100000 to complete the levee systel
which will bring into cultivation mi
Hons of acres OF the richest land
Rhe world, now undeveloped, an
which will a6l to the w,.~ith of I'll
nation annually eight times til
amount of the expenditure necessal
10 protect these lands.
I'VE, the undersigned membel
pf the Atlanta Clearing Hous
fincerely trust the United Stat
government will take har
IN this important problem ar
work 1t out to successful tie
mination, as we feel it a matter
supreme interest to the nation
large"
Q Here are some of the bankers Il
tiers:
IA Here is what Frank A. Vanderll
s president Of the National City bank,
81 New York, one of the strongest fina
I Gal institutions in the country, has
say. Mr.. Vanderlip was formerly
sistant secretary of the treasury VIII
franklin Macveagh, of Detroit, he
That office under President Taft.
81 writes as follows.
S 1 consider it of great importan
that speedy action be taken iowa
. obvlating the annual danger fro
hoods on the lower Mississippi. T
damage done is SO extensive, and
suffering and financial loss so grt
mat 1t is national calamity whene,
these foods occur Affecting as
ooes the whole country both from
business and humanitarian sta
point, believe the matter very pr
efly comes within the scope of C
sressional action and I hope congr
VIII see flt in the near future to ma
adequate appropriation for the or
work that needs to be done there.
William J. Gray, vice president