The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1914-02-14

the neglect of the South in land rccla-
nation work continues while the far
West is getting more and more govern
ment aid and consideration.
The national government has ex-
pended approximately $4,000, 900 on
the reclamation of little over 3.000,-
900 acres of arid land in the far West. |
1t has spent nothing for the reclama-
ton of the rs. 900, 600 acres of swamp |
and overlooked lands of the country,
the most of which are in the southern
and Central States. This so-called
swamp land is worth fully twenty times
as much as the arid lands of the West
Secretary Lane of the Interior De-
partment, which has the irrigation
work in charge, favors an appropria-
ton of 500, coo, Oc0 for additional work,
but has said nothing in favor of public
appropriations to aid in the work OF
food protection and the reclamation of
the swamp and overiiowed lands of our
section.
With Southern man in the Presi-
dents chair, Southern man as Speak
err of the house, and both Houses of
Congress Southern in politics. and con-
troll in the hands of Southern men, it
seems a crime that nothing is being
done for land reclamation in the South
and Central West.
Are our Representatives and Sena-
tors asleep at the switch?
The situation is all the more pathetic
when it is recalled that the reclama-
ton of the swamp and overfiowed lands
and their protection from floods, means
much more to the whole United States
than the retaining of few million
acres from the desert. It means many
hundred million dollars in annual crops,
the saving of more than hundred mil
lion dollars year in food losses, the
prevention of many deaths in floods,
and of many more needless deaths and
| inestimable suffering due to malaria
and other diseases caused by the exis-
tence of swamps.
There is pending in Congress meas
ure that would do for the South and
Central West all that the Reclamation
or Irrigation Act has done for the arid
West. 1t is the bill Oh. R. 1889: Sen
ate 7l94) presented in the House by
Speaker Clark, and in the Senate BY
Senator John Sharp Williams of Miss
issippi. This is known as the Clark
Williams food protection and drainage
bill, and is supported by the National
Drainage Congress, whose next annual
meeting is to be held at Savannah, Ga.
April 22-25. 1914.
The Clark Williams bill is not in con.
fiict with either the Newland's River
Regulation or the Ransdell- Humphrey
Leyee bills. 1t makes Immediately
available about $50. 000, 900 for foot
protection and drainage work, placing
the expenditure of this sum in the De
partment of the Interior. It's, in real
ity, an extention of the Arid Land lr
rigation Act, to include flood protec
ton and drainage in the South ant
Central West, and to put all of thu
country on an equal footing.
The Clark Williams bill provides tina
the Secretary of the Interior shall mak'
surveys and plans for flood protection
and drainage projects; that he may un
dertake the construction of the worl
with the consent of the land owner
and States, the cost to be repaid by
tax upon the lands, assessed and col
lected by the State authorities; or b
may turn the plans over to the owner
| or States for them to carry into effect
1t provides that the Secretary of tn
Interior may purchase the drainag
bonds issued by the State or drainag
district, at par, to supply the needle
funds. Il provides for cooperation be
tween two or more States in the con
struction of interstate drainage or foo
protection projects. 1t provides fo
cooperation between the Department
of War and the Interior when the ques
ton of navigation is involved.
In fact the Clark Williams bill wi
provide for the systematic. compreher
sive and speedy reclamation Of swan
and overfiowed lands and their protes
ton from disastrous floods. 1t will b
passed and the South will receive tn
consideration to which this great an
rich and largely undeveloped and nef
lected section Of the country il entitlet
But this will not be done until OF
Southern Senators and Representative
awake to realization of our interest
and give their support to Speaker Claf