The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-10-24
DRAINAGE MEETING
FOR LARGER DISTRICT
Good Attendance at Drainage Meet
ing Saturday. Move m emit for
Larger Drainage District. Com
mittees Appointed.

Inc second drainage meetlng tooh
place in the Masonic Hall building
Saturday afternoon. This movement
for better drainage is growing and the
now is good for a large dist
riot to be formed for an adequate
drainage system. The meeting was
we'll attended and had representatives
from different sections of the parish.
Mr.. Philip Coverdale was elected chair.
man of the meeting and Mr.. R. M.
Gray secretary.
The committee appointed two weeks
before to investigate the drainage stu.
alton was called on for a report OF their
work, and DR.. Cooper on behalf of the
committee submitted a report on the
result of their work.
There were several legal phases to
the situation that presented themselves
to the committee in their investiga.
tions and these were cleared UP. First,
a. question arose as to whether the
corporation of Welsh could form a part
of the drainage district and if so could
the customary acreage tax be levied?
1t was learned that it has been custo'
mary to make an acreage tax levy
though this is not obligatory on the
district. The tax may be property
tax instead and this Interpretation OF
the law will admit the corporations as
a part of the drainage district with a
tax levy on the property rather than
on acreage. Of course the levy must
be uniform over the district but this
feature would be equitable to both
town and country,
Another question to present itsell
was as to a tax levy for dredging fol-
drainage alone or for commercial pur
poses as well. This is a very pertinent
investigation. Boats now come up the
bayous to some considerable distance
from the gulf. The Inter Coastal Cana
has been completed for long street.-the:
between New Orleans and Galveston
and runs south of us only few miles
The great value of dredging the natur
al drainage outlets little deeper il
this territory so as to AFFORD
boat traffic to the Gulf and alst
to the Inter Coastal Canal il
apparent. The committee investi
gated this point as to whether
tax levy could be made to cover TIT
commercial feature of the work. Thei
advice was that no tax levy could b.
made for dredging for commercial
purposes and will leave this feature t
be attained by some other method.
Still another question came up as t
whether a drainage district alread
established could be added to a ney
district and form only one district
The West Lacasine District is just O
our west and this district is alread
established and there was diScusslo
as to consolidating this district wit
|, the Welsh district. 1t was learne
that the two districts may conSolldat
without any legal obstruction il the
so desire.
Mr.. A. v. Peters who lives in th
West Lacasine district spoke OF tn
advantages of drainage from experlent
and pointed out that the tax levy ma
be made an ad valorem levy SO that tn
burden of tax may be equitably born
by the railroad companies and otht
corporations.
Mr.. P. j. Unkel from the Keystor
district suggested the Importance
I undertaking this drainage work on
systematic basis and urged that
order to make the project efficient II
4 drainage should begin at the outlet
deep water and work the system u
He argued that it would be unfair
form a small district in this territol
and run the water on the people WI
u live below us, and at the same tin
q the drainage would not be adequa1
4 He said the people south OF us were
D favor of drainage and would bear the
q share of the burden but said the sySte
d should include the territory to t
i deep water south of us.
4 Several proposed outlets were 81
y eested and after considerable discussl
a it was decided that the work could
& better and more efficiently handled
d undertaking the work on larger SCI
4 in connection with other sections
a the parish which are already consid
u inc the drainage situation.
n A committee was appointed to M
b with the Lake Arthur and Jennlf
n committee and discuss the advisable
N oil consolidating into one large dlstr
M M, = srt,o int.,ar annointpd the follow