Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-03-11
River and narbors Committee
Recognizes Dangers Of
Spring Floods 4.
Thousands Of Acres of Land.
Gao be Reclaimed If Over.
flow IS Prevented
Robert NJ. McWadc.

b. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES sE.' q FG. H .
Washington, March 10.-After
years of repeated pleadings, the adj
vocates Of government aid to levee
construction on the upper MISSISSIPPI
pi river have won the house rivers
and harbors committee to substantial
recognition OF the soundness OF their
views, the appropriation. Of $780,.
600 to be spent by the Mississippi
river commission iii revetment work
and levee construction on both the
upper and lower river showing the
strength of those who are interested
in this public-spirited movement.
Among the constant friends of the
upper levee region are two distin-
guished members Of the house, whose
districts are divided by the Missis-
sippi river-Speaker Champ Clark of
Missouri and Representative Henry
T. Rainey of Illinois. Both of them
appeared before the committee in the
past to present their pleas and have
fortified their arguments by abundant
testimony az to the great good &C.
complished by local levee construc.
ton unaided by the government. In
the preparation OF the pending river
and harbor bill Speaker Clark; while
leaving no doubt of his position, en-.
trusted to his friend and neighbor,
Mr.. Rainey, the discussion before the
committee Of the entire subject of
government aided levee building.
Two things in this connection have
been extremely gratifying to both
gentlemen; one, the action of the
committee, and the other. the ap
p0intment OF Edward A. Glenn OF
Missouri as civil member of the Mis-.
sissippi river commission. Mr.. Glenn.
whose home is at Louisiana, Mo-, in
Speaker Clark's district, has made q
close and fruitful study Of levee con
struction in connection with water.
way Improvement. z
1T was a capital appointment" said
Mr.. Rainey today, one that is espe.
cially pleasing to our people and, !
am sure. will prove popular through
out the Mississippi Valley"
Mr.. Rainey speaks enthusiastically
of the outlook for the perfection of a
levee system for the Mississippi riv.
Ell and in good time for all rivers OF
tho country flowing through lands
subject to floods.
"The organic Mississippi river com.
mission act" said he, "givcs the com
mission Jurisdiction from the head.
waters to the mouth Of the Passes,
but appropriations to protect lands
from floods have Heretofore been
provided only for the lower river.
Two years ago provision was made
for levee protection as far north as
Cape Girardeau, Mo-, and this year it
lis intended to push the work to Rock
Island, ILL.,, 500 miles north Of Cape
Girardeau. This important step
means that hereafter the federal gov.
eminent will lend its aid in the con
.struction Of levees OH all rivers that
overflow our wonderfully valuable
and reclaimable alluvial lands. It is
clearly a legitimate as we'll as a wise
governmental proposition, coming, as
it does, within the commerce clause
Of the constitution, even though the
levee affords only a landing place for
boats" =.
Something of the huge benefit
achieved already solely by private
enterprise in his congressional dis.
trict was told by Mr.. Rainey.
In my district there is a stretch
of 81 original levee districts, Of which
2G have been built by local enter.
prise. SO that Ivy raising the money
necessary by land assessment PIG
miles Of ]evees have been completed.
by the proposed appropriation $4,000
acres of land will be reclaimed and
be brought to an annual productive
value Of not less than $35, 900, 900. We
have levees n21llinois that have been
built for 40 years. These levees
sometimes break and great loss is
suffered in very valuable property.
Our levees are more easily built and
more enduring than those OIL the low.
er river. Our river. flow is not sub.
ject to tickle channels, the banks do
not crumble over and over; they al.
ways afford %a.landing place and the
channels integrity is preserved,
"The Mississippi river is a national
problem, and lis distinctly recognized
as such by three political parties in.
their national platforms. With it's
navigation and vast drainage area
properly cared for, we Shall come to
realize what Il ;matchless treasure we
have in that worlds granary: that lies
between the Allegheny and Rocky
mountain systems and the transcend
ent Importance of improving all the
waterways Of this priceless food field
will become more patent when we
have begun to, use the Panam canal.
Then we shall understand that the
advantages of that costly enterprise
are chiefly on transcontinental
freight rates. Then we shall better
appreciate the logic Of %pertccting ollr
national waterway system by the
Lakes-to-the- Gulf Improvement"
Mr.. Rainey expects that the upper
~levees will get the same proportion Of
expenditure as that given to the low
er levees-one dollar for three.
The congressman, citing instances