The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-12-13
NO NEED FOR A RIVER
WI. A NfTT. II

One of the gatherings was a Slato
convention. called by the New Orle-
ans Board of Trade and composed : !
accredited delegates from thirty-one
parishes, chosen by police juries, town
authorities, leVee boards and other
civic organizations.
This convention held forenoon and
afternoon sessions at the Board o.
Trade. and the speakers were CHAIR
man NJ. J. Sanders, State Senator
Leon C. Smith Of Shreveport, Leigh
Carroll, president of the Orleans le-
wee board; w. B. Thompson, commit
sioner of public utilities for the city
Of New, Orleans; Col. C, Med. Town
send. president of the Mississippi Riv-
eh! Commission, and United states
Senator JOS. E. Ransdell, all OF Whom
made strong arguments in favor OF
the passage by congress OF the Rans-
deu-Humphreys bill. Resolutions to
like effect were reported by com
mittee and unanimously adopted.
The rival assembly was mass
meetingt called by committee or
prominent citizens favorable to the
Newlands bill and held in the Ath-
ene11m at night. The speakers We're
R. H. bowman, chairman OF the
committee; Geo. H. Maxwell, special
promoter of the NeWlands project;
Amos Ponder, chairman Of the meet
ing, John M. Parker, Gov. L. E.
Hall. ex-Gov. J. Y. Sanders, E. L..
Chappuis. Marshall Ballard and Con
gresham R. F. Broussard. These
gentlemen all advocated the New
lands measure as preferable to the
mphreys bill, mainly be-
cause it contemplates a much more
comprehensive system of work, COW
ering almost the whole country, and
a. far greater expenditure Of public
funds. Resolutions were passed by
the Atheneum gathering in accord
with the sentiments expressed by the
speakers thereat.
While it would be desirable, no
doubt, that the people of Louisiana
should be united in support of one
project, we do not share the opinion
held in some quarters that q division
of sentiment such as exists between
the respective supporters of the
Ransdell-Humphrey and the New
lands bills is likely 10 prove disas-
trous. The contest may serve to
bring the question more forcibly to
the attention of congress and the
country at large, and to emphasize
the material fact that, although
there are differences of opinion
among US as to the best means Of
securing the contamination, we are
all united in the contention and be-
lief that it is the duty of the federal
government to come to the relief OF
the overburdened states Of the Mis-
sissippi valley and assume the task
of controlling the great national VIA
terway that conveys the floods OF
more than half the country's area to
the sea.
The Chief inclines to the view that
the Ransdell-Humphreys bill, which
carries an appropriation of S60,00O,-
900 to be expended at the rate of
$12,O00,0O0 year for five years in
levee construction and bank-protec-
ton alone under the direction Of the
Mississippi River Commission and
along established lines Of procedure,
should be given preference at this
time, because it stands much the bet.
| ter chance for passage at the pres
sent session of congress.
The Newlands bill carries a mum
Der Of appropriations for various
purposes, including arid land reclama
ton, forestration, flood regulation
| n,r, oFY MI
by levees, revetments, srillWays, etc.
| The items aggregate the enormous
total of $500, 100000 to be expended
| during a period of ten years, and the
| measure provides for preliminary in
vestigaltion and changes of systems
| and plans that must necessarily take
some time to- complete and put into
working order. 1t is idle TO expect
| that congress is going to approve
such a gigantic and comprehensive
project and authorize the expenditure
| of so vast a sum Of the public money
without exhaustive inquiry, full dis
cussion and protract5d deliberation.
| There is no reason why we should
quarrel or divide over the two mea
sures. Support Of the Ransdell-Hum
phreys bill, which promises immedi
ate relief, need not involve Or imply
opposition to the Newlands bill
which holds out the promise of great
er things in the indefinite future
The sensible course would seem tc
| be to join hands in pushing the
smaller project through congress at
once, if possible. and then to get
| behind the bigger scheme with like
| unanimtty.