The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-02-01
THE LOCKS. AND THE LEVEE
BOARDS


The Atchafalaya and Lafourche
Basin leyee boards, and particularly
the members Of those bodies who
voted in the negative, owe an eA-
PLANTATION to their constituents and the
governor of the state in connection
with the defeat of the resolution,
considered at the joint session Of the
leyee boards heldsin this town on the
10th OF January, providing for the
appointm of a committee to call
upon the United States engineers at
New Orleans and inquire into the
status Of plans for locks to be con-
structed at DonaldsonVille and to
urge the completion of said plans.
The resolution was offered by Com
missioner f. B. Lemann of Ascension
and seconded by Commissioner R. c.
Martin of Assumption. On being put
to a vote, it was defeated by six yeas
and seven nays The six members
of the Atchafalaya board in attend
ance voted in the negative and were
joined by Commissioner I. V. Thag-
gard, who represents the railroads on
the Lafourche board. The remaining
six members of the latter body voted
in the affirmative.
There can be no doubt of the legal
and moral obligation resting on the
Lafourche and Atchafalaya levee
boards to provide for the con-
struction of locks to replace the
dam that closes the Bayou Lafourche
at Donaldsonyille. Permission to
build this dam was obtained from the
federal government upon the express
understanding and agreement-not
merely "a gentlemen's agreement, .
but specific written condition haV-
ing all the force Of a contract in law
and morals-that it was to be a tenn
porary structure and to be substituted
by locks.
To this condition, recognized and
affirmed in three separate acts OF
the Louisiana general assembly cited
below, and in the permission granted
by the secretary Of war for the tenn
porary obstruction of the navigation
of Bayou Lafourehe, has been added
the positive and unequiVocal instruc-
ton to the leyee boards contained in
the general asseLibly's Act No. Il
of 1906, as follows
Whereas said temporary dam has
been placed and is in actual exist
ence at the head Bof said Bayou La
feurche since 1908 and no action has
been as yet taken by the said two
boards to carry out the intention OF
the said Act No. ~ of 1893, Act No.
8 of 1900 and Act No. "a OF 1902. in
the location and construction of the
said locks therein provided for;
Resolved, BY the general assem-
bly, of the state of#Louisiana, that the
and Lafourche Basin
fevee boards be and they are hereby
directed to carry out the purposes
tn the different acts here
tofore referred to- and to proceed to
take the proper and needful steps 20
build and construct the locks re.
quired of them under the said acts
of the general assembly of this state.
and to make prov isions for the rails
ing the neeesga moneys for that
purpose Is rss,TiYaed il said different
acts OF the 1sgisI ature aforesaid -
. In view of this enactment, the
terms of which are too plain to be
or evaded, a failure or
refusal on the part of the. levee
boards even to make an effort to per-
form the duty required Of them can
not be regarded otherwise than de-
liberate disregard and contempt of
the authority and command of the
general assembly. as well as vio-
lation of the contract with the fed
eraI government as represented by
the secretary Of war, and a breach Of
public faith,
The Chief assumes the prerogative
Of a medium of public sentiment,
having the welfare of this community
closely at heart, to direct the atten-
ton of the recaIcitrant members of
the two leVee boards to the forego-
ing facts, and to ask at their hands
q reconsideration and abandonment
Of the indefensible attitude implied
by their action in rejecting the reso-
luton presented by Messrs. Lemanl
and Martin.
They cannot afford, either as Off
Gals, citizens or individuals, to ser
III defiance and ignore laws enacted
Tor their guidance.