The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-10-04
THE INTsERG0AsT.AI. CANAL
Fsl1TITs r. S

Il THE 1N1ERGDA5ItAIi CAlsAL
ROUTE.
Mayor Walter Lemann Of Donald
i sonyille has exchanged letters witt
i Hon. Leon Loekeof Caleasieu parish
general secretary of the Interstate
Inland Waterway League of Louisiana
and Texas, on the subject OF the
route of the eastern section of the
intercoastaI canal that is designed ts
j connect the Rio Grande and Missis
sipppi rivers, and The Chief gladly
avails itself Of the privilege of pub.
1 fishing the secretary's reply to oui
mayors communication. Mr.. Locke
wrote from Lake Charles, September
10, as follows:
81 am in receipt of your letter OF
the 18th, reply to which would have
been made earlier but for my alb
sence in Baton Rouge. We have
been urging the Morgan Cfty-NeW OR.
1 leans route as an auxiliary on ac-
count of. the importance OF the last
named city, but we have never aban-
doned the Plaauemine route, nor
have we forgotten the Donaldsonvllle
route as another auxiliary. ! have
! been receiving some letters from
| Mr.. Willard Ditch, who fayors strong
| " the Cancienne Canal route, and ]
| promised TO go over and look at 1t
| in order that might study it to pre-
sent the matter to the engineers, but
| I have not had time SO far this sum
mer. I suggest that your delegates
| to the Orange convention be prepar-
| ed to discuss the advantages Of the
route proposed by your section, not
with view to supplanting the 9th
| err routes. but for the purpose OF
showing the necessity for all outlets
possible If you will send me the
name Of the speaker to present this
| / will have him placed on the pro-
gram.
.sThe canal is now completed be-
tween Plaauemine and the Mermen-
! tau, and work is in progress be-
tween the Mermentau and the Sa-
| bine. The Texas sections are COM
Melted between Galveston and Corpus
Christi, and the Sabine Galveston sec
ton has been approved and we hope
| to get an appropriation In the forth
coming rivers and harbors bill. The
actual survey OF the New Orleans
Morgan City section has not been
made, and IL it is shown there is a
better and cheaper route than has
as yet been considered it viii be
easy to convince the engineers, SO
/ 1t is desirable that all the light pos
sible be shed on the subject.
i II hope your city will be represent
led IN the Orange convention. and
assure you OF my earnest desire to
do anything that will forward the
work OF the intereoastaI and its prop
er connection with the Mississippi. !"
| This letter serves to emphasize the
necessity of having this section Of
the state. and more especially Ascen-
sion, Assumption and Lafourche par
ishes. numerouslY and efficiently rep
resented at the ninth annual conven-
ton of the Interstate Inland Water
way League to be held at Orange,
Texas, Friday and Saturday, October
II and Is.
These parishes are deeply inter
ested in having Bayou LaSourche des-
ignated as one OF the links to con-
meet the eastern end OF the inter
coastal canal with the Mississippi riy-
er. and the importance OF securing
this object is too apparent to require
argument In its behalf 1t will mean
the reclamation OF the beautiful ba-
you as d navigable stream and COM
mercial highWa ya restoration of
at least 4 good share 81 the prestige
III lost when Its connection with the.
Mississippi river was cut off By q
dam for the purpose of protecting
the lower Lafonrehe valley from
overflow and saving the Atchafalaya
and Lafourehe levee boards the la
Dor and expense involved In the con-
struetion and maintenance OF q .,un-
dred miles Of bayou Ieyees. It will
mean the removal OF the dam and
the substitution ct locks at Donald
.sonville-a carving out OF the obIiga-.
ton assumed by the leVee boards as
ia condition precedent to the granting
OF permission blythe state and nation
al governments for the building of
the dam .s
iiV ppliccs juIISssa lDMII cOuttGllS$ adud
civic organizations of the three La
fourche valley parishes owe it to-
themselves and the interests they
represent to see that adequate dele
cations are sent to the Orange con-
9ention, and that at least one speak
ar Is selected To advocate the claims
ind present the advantages of Bayou
slsafourche as section OF the. inter-
coastal canal connecting the project
ed waterway with the Mississippi
river.
THE TARIFF BILL PASSED.
The Underwood. Simmons tariff bin
has finally passed both houses OF con
gress and was to be signed by Presi-
dent Wilson at "a f,snfonk5 la OF n fphf II