Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-05-27
HOME FROM WASH
|NCT0N MEETING
Elk. Mayor sparboe Attends Import
tart Gathering at the Ma
tional Capital.
Ex-mayor H. NJ. Sparboe returned

Ex-mayor H. NJ. Sparboe returned
yesterday from the recent meeting
of the General Education Commit
tee of the National Drainage Con-
gress held May 22nd and 23rd in
Washington, D. c., and reports a
very profitable meeting productive
of definite results and a pleasant
time from the social and pleasure
standpoint.
This committee of some fifty mem
bers was chosen by the national
congress which met in St. Louis last
April and they were instructed to
attempt to create a strong sentl-
ment in favor of national control of
rivers, flood protection and reclama-
ton of swamp lands. National con-
troll in the case of rivers is neces-
sary to secure the best and most
permanent results. For instance, in
dealing with stream like the Mis-
sissippi, the state of Iowa might do
something which would result in
great injury to the states farther
south along this same stream. In
the control of floods, something be-
sides levees, is needed. Many en-
gineers advocate the use of large
reservoirs at the head waters to
store away the overflow until the
dry season, when it is needed. But
this work cannot be very successful
ly carried on by any one state and
no one state receives the entire ben
eft, or should bear the entire cost.
River improvement also aids naviga-
tion and furnishes power for factor
les in many states. The benefits de-
rived are so general and the i'm
prov ements so widespread in nature
that they should come under more
general control than that OF the
states individually, in order to Sc
cure the best results at the smallest
expenditure of funds.
The nations of Europe are adopt
ing the plan of national instead of
local control of work of this kind
and have worked out some very feas-
ible and practical plans for the
same and for the equalizing Of the
tax required for the improvements
by dividing it among property and
power plant owners directly bene-
flied and the state or nation which
reaps a general benefit from improv-
ed navigation, etc.
1t was the purpose of the recent
meeting in Washington to acquaint
the president and his cabinet and
the members of congress with the
ideas of this drainage association or
congress. To accomplish this pur-
pose they arranged for committee in
terviews with the various powers
that be.
At 2:3O on Thursday afternoon,
May 22nd, the committee met Presi-
dent Wilson in the East room OF the
White House and were allowed a
fifteen minute interview. The reso-
buttons on the national control Of
drainage problems prepared by the
National Drainage Congress were
read by the reader Of the committee
and the president responded, declar-
ing himself to be heartily in favor
of the sentiments expressed. He
said that he thought the government
should and would soon take
some hand in this work, but just
how and where he could not yet tell,
but thought that some definite plan
should be worked out.
The Secretary OF War next receiv-
ed the committee. The improve
ment Of rivers and harbors has
heretofore been in the hands OF this
department: that is, as much OF this
work as has fallen under federal
control. He also declared himself
heartily in favor of the ideas OF the
committee and said there was no
question but what these great prob
lens Of food protection and i'm
provement of our waterways must be
taken up and solved.
The evening of May 22nd was de-
voted to social time and the COM
mittee were entertained at a smok-
er at the Cosmos club. A goodly
number of United States senators
and representatives were present at
this gathering and Senator Smith Of
Sou tn Carolina, Senator Robinson OF
Arkansas. and Senator Sherman OF
Illinois all spoke with enthusiasm
upon the drainage problem.
On Friday interviews were ar