St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1914-03-21
Self-Sustaining Drainage System

Lafayette, La, March 18th 1914.
To the Editor of the st. Landry Clarion,
Opelousas. La.
Dear Sir | note in a recent issue
OF your excellent journal an article on the
subject of drainage, which is a natter Of
vital Importance to the people Of Southwest
Louisiana. Plan as in~telligently as we may
and cultivate as perfectly as the most scien-
tiic farmer is able to do, yet we can never
hope to get the best results from our fields
until they are perfectly drained.
Furthermore. it may be questioned
whether it is possible to secure effective
drainage by the creation of small, indepen-
dent drainage districts in each of the par
ishes. Mr.. Schell's scheme, as originally
drawn, is constructed upon a comprehensive
plan, and were it carried out, it would be
infinitely more valuable to the parishes
through which the main stem and its late
rails pass, than any collection of small sys-
TENS could possibly be.
| appreciate the objections that might
well be raised against depending for public
drainage upon a privately owned canal, con-
structed primarily for irrigation purposes,
but serving the purposes of drainage Incl
dentally; and have referred to this great en-
terprise to illustrate the practicability, and
the immense economy that would result
from haXing one general drainage system
in Southwest Louisiana instead of twenty or
more, as we are threatened with.
/ would suggest, before We propose too
far in the direction of multiplying small
drainage districts, with the manifold multi
plication of pumping stations, machinery,
skilled operatives and numerous other ex-
pensive requirements, that we consider the
matter carefully, secure the judgement OF
the best experts, and study the laws gov
erning the subject, with the view of having
them amended if necessary.
1t should be remembered that a small
district must Of necessity do things only in
a small way; while a big, comprehensive
district will be not only financially powerful
enough to do big things, but its moral in
fuence as well will be strong enough to
secure from the government the cleaning
out and extension of streams, and other
things, which smaller districts would be
powerless to obtain.
The discussion of this proposition
through the press OF Inc QlSLflcI is 1mpOr-1
tant at this time, in order that it's merits,
pro and con, may be set forth fully, to the
end that the people may make up their
judgement with full knowledge of all the
facts that enter into the question.
do not wish my reference to the Schell
canal to be construed into meaning that the
Bureau of which I am manager has, or that
I myself have any predisposition in favor of
q personal or private scheme. On the con
trary, | believe that any system that may be
adopte | should be a public system. owned
in fee simply by the people and operated for
their benefit by their duly authorized
agents.
It is readily conceivable that a combined
drainage and irrigation system of that sort
might be made self-sustaining by the rentals
from water service and for the generation
of electrical power and lighting. But even
this be found to be impracticable,
the vast saving in efficiency and money that
would be effected by a system that would
embrace as much of Southwest Louisiana as
it would be practicable to include in a single
would be far preferable to a dozen
or twenty small districts, each with limited
and many Of them with inadequate
outlets.
Very Truly Yours
w. C. CHEVIS. Manager,
Louisiana Development Bureau.