The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1913-05-24

! New Orleans.
ceded that this can not be accomplish
ed by the "levees only" system advo-
Gated by the Memphis association and
embodied in the Ransdell. Humphreys
bill.
Senator RansdelI in his recent letter
on the subject says:
mo one can say that greater food
than has ever yet appeared may not at
some future day overtop them four
levees),"
Right there we differ from him, and
we advocate plan that will safeguard
against any food that can ever come
In any future day. We do not believe
that this country should be developed
under any plan for food protection
which leaves the people at the mercy
tof any food greater than those we
have had, because we know such great
Ier floods must be anticipated. The food
expert Of the United States Weather
Bureau has warned us to expect them.
What we stand for is not partial pro-
lection from foods in most years, but
for complete and absolute protection
from floods in all years, and protection
from extraordinary floods as well as
from ordinary foods.
Senator Ransdell admits that his bill
does not provide for this. The New
lands bill does provide Tor it.
Space permits the, enumeration at
this time of only few of the many
other defects in and obj ections to the
Ransdell- Humphreys bill.
On Its face the Ransd ell-Humphreys
bill Is not supplemental to, but sub
stitute for appropriations through the
rivers and harbors bill. We must,
therefore, assume that 1.-THE amount ap-
propriated is all that will be availa-
bic for five years. That amount is en-
tirely inadequate.
A reference to pages 26 to % of the
testimony of Capt. West, of the Mis-
sissippi River Commits sion, before the
Committee on Rivers and Harbors of
the House of Repres' antatiyes, at the
last session of Cong ress, will satisfy
anyone that compile ted levee system
with reyetments will cost 100000
to $75,OO0,OO0 for leve es and $50 100000
to $15S,0O0,OO0 for revetments from
Cairo down-makingi a total of from
$160, 100000 to $3.50 10000.
The levee system is no protection
without revetments, hs Capt. West ties.
titles:
II am going to bel perfectly candid
and make a staten emit that may not
please the people Of that lower valley
Of the members of this committee; but
| do not believe that you can ever com.
plete the levee system of the lower
Mississippi until you hs We given fixa
ton to the banks of tb e river. will
go further and say that If you by some
process of magic had to-day on the
banks Of the Mississippi ii river levee
system that was up t o the ultimate
height and volume tn; 1T we estimate
! it should be, you couh not maintain
that system against dis aster until you
have prevented the Gaving Of those
banks"
The Ransdell-H umph .reys bill pro
vides only $12,0OO,OOO 1. year for five
years for levees, revet ments, dredgt
boats and all work for he general i'm
provement Of the river, including thu
salaries and expenses oil the Mississip
lpi River Commission. fOf this appro
priation 100000 yea r is set apar
for levees, leaving only $3,00O,000 TO
all other purposes, inc luding revet
ments-an utterly inadeq uate amount
The. Newlands river n equation bill
provides $10,OOO,OOO a 5year for tel
years for work of food control, to b
supplemented by as larg e appropria
tons from year to year IN the river
ana harhors bill as can be obtaine
from works OF general river improve