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

ed States Geological Survey, United
States Reclamation Service, Bureau
of Forestry Department Of Agricul-
ture), Bureau of Plant Industry (Ds-
partment of Agriculture), secretary of
the Smithsonian Institution. The Board
of River Regulation is subordinate to
the President and Cabinet at all times.
All doubtful or disputed questions are
to be referred to the President, and he
may, in turn, refer them to the Cabi-
net.
The moment the bill became law
plans of the Mississippi River Commits
sion for levees and revetments could
be presented to the board, approved
and the money for construction appro-
priated. The work of construction
would begin Immediately. AS soon az
the necessary surveys and working
plans could be made, work would be-
gin on any plan that might be approx
ed for controlled outlets, auxiliary
channels or spillways.
1t Is safe to assume that the safe
guards In the lower Mississippi Valley
built under this bill would not be limit
ed to levees and revetments, but would
include all other safeguards that engi-
|neering genius could devise and money
construct.
The NewIands bill is not committed
in advance to any plan, nor does 1t, in
advance, reject any claim.
1t creates board to consider all pro-
posed plans, adopt those which are
feasible and practicable, after careful
surveys and estimates Of cost, and
when SO adopted, and cost ascertained,
the board has the authority and money
to proceed with immediate construc-
ton. The greatest benefit the country
will get from the bill is that 1t does
away with the uncertainty and interim
nable delays Of piecemeal annual APP
preparations by Congress.
We are not worried about the large
ness of the amount appropriated by
the bill. The sum it appropriates is
not greater than the annual average
damage by floods in the Ohio river
drainage basin alone.
II this nation can afford to spend
$400, 0O0, 900 to build the Panama Canal
we believe it will not hesitate to spend
$500, 100000 to annex to 1t system
OF 10000 miles Of inland waterways In
the great central valley of the United
States, from which New Orleans
would be the gateway to the Panama
Canal, especially when this expendi-
ture will put an end to such stupen-
dous losses as have been caused by
the floods Of the last two years.
When the national government has
expended sS0,0O0.000 for works for
water control and irrigation in the
western half OF the United States, 1t
seems unreasonable TO say that 1t will
not spend s250,000,00o in the whole
drainage basin of the Mississippi river
for flood control and necessary co-ordi-
mated navigation, power development
and the reclamation by drainage and
protection from overflow OF 100000
acres In the delta of the Mississippi
river.
We believe the Newlands river regu-
lation bill will pass, because 1t recog-
nizes the needs of the entire country,
and all overlooked regions In the Unit
cd States.
We believe 1t will pass, because we
believe that the West will push it
through Congress. as they did the New
lands reclamation act, under which
they have already obtained $4,000, 600.
The West can get the strength to pass
this bill by uniting with other benefit
ed sections without any help from the
lower Mississippi Valley.
In the face of this should we aban-
don our support given more than
year ago, for bill that gives US $780,
100000, plus everything we can get
through the river and harbors bill?
Surely 1t would be worse than folly
to do 80, and tie up to the Ransdell-
Humphreys bill which gives us less
money and only partial relief and which
SO far as known, has no support out
side Of the three states chiefly benefit
ed by it.
| We believe the action of the second
citizens mass meeting, held May Is,
1913, at the Tulane Theatre, In 30 en-
Enthusiastically indorsing the Newlands
river regulation bill was wise and time
ly, and we are now inauguraating an
active and vigorous national campaign
Ito be conducted from New Orleans, in
Incorporation with other sections OF the