The Donaldsonville chief., 1914-04-11
AGAIN DODGEs THE ISSUE.
Lafourche Levee Board Declines to
Make Provision for Building
Locks or to Admit Inability to
Fulfill Obligation.

Fulfill Obligation.
The regular quarterly meeting of
the Lafourche Basin Levee Board
was held Wednesday in the local Of
flee of the organization, with Presl-
dent ]. F. Wigginton, of Lafourche,
in the chair, Secretary Hector Hlmel
at his post, and the following COM
missioners present: r. C. Martin,
Jr., Assumption; F. B. Lemann, AS
cension; Cleryi1le Himel, st. James;
A. Champagne, st. John; George
Lorio, st. Charles; Charles Viering,
Jefferson; R. E. Perez, Plaquemines.
Commissioner T. V. Thaggard, of
|sMcDonoghville, representing the rail
roads, was the only absentee.
The president stated that the rec
ords and accounts of Former Secre-
tary WI. .McCune, who retired April l,
had been examined by the state au-
diting department and found correct.
4 telegram to President Wigginton
from Congressman Robert F. Brous-
sard was read, calling attention to
the fact that letter addressed to
Secretary r. S. Vickers of the Ba-
you Lafourche Lock Association by
Dan. G. Kingman, chief of engineers
of the United States army, contain
ed the statement that unless con-
gressional authority for the construc-
ton of the proposed locks in Bayou
Lafourche, or the continuance of the
dam which now shuts off communl-
cation between that stream and the
Mississippi river, is obtained at the
present session of congress, action
partment with a view to the removal
of the temporary dam. L1r. Brous-
! sard's telegram goes on to say, 'It
is imperative that action should be
taken by your board You should So
licit the assistance of the Louisiana
senators, as the house members, on
account of existing legislative situa-
ton with respect to rivers and har-
bors bill, are powerless to do any
thing in the matter. | will gladly
help in every way with hearing
before the senate commerce COM
mittee. Communicate with Loulsi-
ana senators and wire me what |
can do to aid. Am sending similar
message to President V. NJ. Le-
febyre of the Atchafalaya board
Commissioner Lemann urged that
the board make some sort of prop
osition to the United States gov
eminent to build the locks, a portion
of the cost to be borne by the joint
levee boards and to be paid with
notes issued in accordance with the
authority vested in the boards by
Legislative enactment, these certifi-
Gates to be issued at a time in the
future when the boards have in a
measure recovered from the finan-
cial stringency which now confronts
them. Mr.. Lemann pointed out the
obligation resting upon the boards to
build the locks, and asserted that
the people of the Lafourche valley
were tired of the long delay in Sc
curing this much-needed Improvement
and would vigorously oppose any fur
ther extension of the time limit for
removing the dam and substituting
it with locks
President Wigginton and Commits
sioner Himel declared the levee
boards would not be in a position to
undertake the construction of the
locks Or to make any appropriation
toward the cost of building them for
several years to come, unless they
could be relieved entirely of the
burden of maintaining the levee lines
in their respective districts. Mr..
Wigginton suggested that perhaps
the government might be willing to
assume the care and upkeep of the
levees while the joint boards center
ed their resources in building the
locks.
After a general discussion of the
matter, along the lines that have
become SO familiar since the recent
agitation for the locks was started,
Commissioner Perez offered a reso-
luton to the effect that President
Wigginton be authorized to act in
conjunction with President Lefebvre
OF the Atchafalaya board and ascer-
tain from the Louisiana senators and
congressman what can be done to-
ward relieving the joint boards of
the obligation resting upon them to
oulld the locks, and in the event that
congressional aid can not be obtain
ed, to endeavor to secure an exten-
sion of time for the removal of the
dam. The motion was adopted by
a vote OF seven yeas to one nay, the
only dissenting voice being that of
Mr.. Lemann, who announced that he
would steadfastly oppose any action
looking to further delay in preparing
for the construction of the locks.
The president was authorized to
take out an employers liability pol
Icy covering the employees on the
dredge Lafourche, and to confer with
the Atchafalaya board in regard to
taking out like policy to cover the
employees On the dredge Capt. v.
NJ, which is owned Jointly by the
Atchafalaya and Lafourche boards.
John F. TruxilIo, of Belle Alliance.
former assessor of Assumption par
lsh, was elected assistant secretary
of the board for service in the Don
aldsonVille office, at a salary of SIS
per month. Mr.. Perez thought the
assistant secretary should maintain
his headquarters at the office in
New Orleans, but after some discus
sion the objection was withdrawn
and the president was authorized to
engage office help at the New Or1e-
ans office at an expense of not more
than S25 per month.
Off For Iowa.
A party OF tWenty-six young men
from Donaldsonville and vicinity left
Eere Monday morning for Cherokee,