The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-04-25
BILL
Provide for Expenditures
That Will Prevent Big
Floods in Future.
tseEelAl. Ii rnr 1rLraaA..,


4 tsPEeiAL 70 THE IELEoRAn)
WASHINGTON, April 25.-of the
score or more bills introduced during
the sixty-third Congress, which
the sixty-third Congress, and which
probably have escaped attention by
reason of the change in the admins
tratlon of the government, providing
for the relief OF food sufferers in the
Ohio and Mississippi valleys, for
flood prevention through the building
of reservoirs, for the deepening Of
rivers, etc, probably none will COM
mand more general attention than the
bills introduced by Senator Ransdell
of Louisiana and Representative
Humphreys of Mississippi on the first
day of the session .approprlating
funds to prevent floods on the Miss
issippl river and to improve naylga-
ton.
These bills are identical and pro-
vide for an expenditure of 100000, 900
to cover a period of five years, 12,OOO,-
600 to be made available July /, 1914.
OF this $12,00O,0O0, and for every year
thereafter until the full amount is
utilized, three-fourths, or $4,000 900.
are to be used each year for the pro-
lection, repair and construction of
levees and the balance for bank re-
vestment work and for work in the in
terests of navigation.
The appropriation of this large sum
of money, however, is conditioned up
on the states, or levee districts in
terested, appropriating sum equal to
onethird allotted to each levee dis
trict affected by the bill.
This amount, carried over a period
of five years, it is believed, will COM
plete and so strengthen the levees be-
tween Cape Girardeau and the head
Of the Passes as will give immunity
from everything but extraordinary
floods, and safeguard such foods as
that of last year and the one that re-
Gently swept down the valley.
In this connection, It may be said
that the bill embodles the ideas Of the
Mississippi River Commission, which
has been studying this vast stretch of
water for upwards of thirty years,
and 1t contains the best thought Of
j, the best minds of the Mississippi val
ley, brought in frequent consultation
to devise practical plan for the pre-
yention of flood devastation.
And what are the interests behind
this bill of Messrs. Ransdell and
Humphreys? 1t will be supported
with practical unanimlty by the peo-
pie in the oyerfowed delta Of Mss
ouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkan-
sas, Mississippi and Louisiana, with
the especial backing of the powerful
Mississippi Levee Commission, with
headquarters at Memphis, Tenn.
So varied are the interests the peo-
pie OF the United States have in the
Mississippi valley that It is only
/ through concrete recitation of them
that the country gets fair knowledge
of their extent and the ramlfcations
of their activities.
The overlooked delta OF the Miss
issippi valley contains $4,000 square
miles, in round numbers 19,OOO,0O
acres of the most fertile soil in the
republic Within this dominion there
is large section especially adapted
to the production of the, long staple
cotton so largely used by the New
England mills. II this section could
be thoroughly protected from over
| flow there seems to be no reason why
another pound Of long staple cotton
need be imported from Egypt. but in
stead, 1t would raise enough cotton
not only to supply our own mills, but
to change the balance OF the long
staple cotton trade in our favor.
When an overflow occurs, however
not only is the immediate country
laid waste, and one hundred different
Industries put out OF business, to say
nothing of lives and property destroy
| ed, but the farthermost commercial
enterprise feels its effect, for the peo-
tple of the Mississippi valley use a
vast quantity of manufactured goods.
fabrics of the richest, as well as the
plainest kinds, machinery, farming
implements, live stock, etc, command
ing the attention of those who are in
trade and commerce from the Allan
tic ocean to the Missouri river.
/; According to figures obtained from
the board of engineers Of the United
States army, the present levee system
on the Mississippi has cost about $751;
100000, Of which the local communi-
/ ties have furnished more than two
thirds, which, with, an addition of
$6O,OOO,OOO, as proposed by the bills
Of Senator RansdelI and Representa-