Evening journal., 1914-04-18
Drainage WORK
TO BE Discussed
Delaware VIII Be Repre-
Sented at Savannah Meet
ing Next Week
VITAL QUESTION
TO THE STATE

Several Delawareans are expected
to attend the convention Of the Ma
tional Drainage Congress, which will
be held in Savannah. Georgia. from
Wednesday to Saturday Of next week.
Men who have been named as dele
gates from this state. several Of
whom will attend the convention. are;
Andrew Marvel, Of Georgetown, Del;
William E. Valiant, Sirman d. Marvil
and Harley Boyce. of Laurel; Everett
Hickman, Frankford; Henry Hous-
ton and DR. Joseph X. Fraime. Mills
boro; Harley c. Joseph, Midway;
Isaac Giles. seaford; William Con-
well, Milton: Robert c. Hill, Redden; ;
Irving Culver, Delmar. and Represen-
tative Charles owens. Bridgeville.
They We're appointed by Josiah
Marvel. Delaware member of I he
general educational committee of the
National Drainage Congress. General
r. Coleman DUPONT. of this city, is
actively interested in the Congress.
DR.. J. H. squires, OF the DUPONT
Powder Company who has made a
study Of typographical conditions
throughout Delaware and Of the
benefits that would come from drain.
ing and reclaiming the low-lands,
particularly in Sussex county, ex-
poets to attend the Congress.
Delaware is vitally interested in
the success of the Drainage Congress.
The conversion of States area of It's
marsh and lowlands into fertile farms
would not only improve the public
health, but would add considerably to
the value of the yearly crops, furnish
more farms and help materially In
the further development of the State.
The National Drainage Congress, as
it's name implies, is a national or
ganization. IL is endeavoring to have
passed national legislation that viii
accomplish the following results:
Prevent an annual loss of hundreds
Of lives. untold grief and suffering,
S10O.OO0.OO0 worth of property and
the Gripping of trade and industry,
caused by floods.
Prevent the annual death of a
thousand women, children and men,
and an economic loss of S150,000.0 600
caused by malaria which is due to
the existence of swamps
Reclaim 75,00O,000 acres of swamp
and overhOwed lands, and convert
them into healthful. prosperous
farms TO provide homes for more
Americans than will emigrate "a
Mexico and Canda In fifty years.
This great result will be achieved
the officers of the National Drainage
Congress believe, by the passage oil
| the Williams Flood Protection
and Drainage Bill. II. r. 1888, pro
i nounced by experts TO be the bes
bill of its kind ever presented to Con
gress. II Is said to be broad enough
TO cover the nations needs in a thor
oughly comprehensive manner, anC
specific enough TO provide for eacf
section without encroaching upon the
rights of either State or individual
The meeting at Savannah. April 2.
to 25. promises to be most eventfu
and important. Among the notable
events will be the presence of Sil
William Willcocks of Cairo. Egypt
the famous English engineer and the
worlds foremost authority on floOG
control and river regulation. the de
signer and builder of the great AS
wan dam across the Nile which hai
worked wonders for Egyptian de
velopment. He has performed othei
works, almost as notable. in irriga
ton. drainage, and flood control, in
other parts of Egypt. I'm India and II
Mesopotamia. Sir William is the
only honorary vice-president at larg'
of the Drainage Congress. He vii
deliver an illustrated address at Sa
vannah on River Regulation ant
Flood Control in Antiquity"
The organization also number
among its active officers the foremos
sanitary engineer in the world
General William C. Gorgas. U. S. A.
whose work in fighting disease mad
possible the building of the Panami
Canal. The president of the Drainag
Congress is Edmund T. Perkins. o
Chicago. for years in the governmen
service. and for several years il
charge of the Chicago office of tn
Reclamation Service. and member o
/ the Florida Everglades Engineering
Commission, which has recently
made a report to that state on tn
reclamation of the Everglades. Philil
r. Kellar. the Chicago magazln
writer and newspaper correspondent
is the secretary.
The people Of Savannah are work
ing energetically to make the meet
ing successful in every way. Mayo
Richard '. Davant and the cit
council have made It practically
municipal affair, and the Chamber o
Commerce has made its success
matter OF great concern and is doin
everything in its power to help aC
complish this result The promis
is held out that the hospitality or tn
city viii be at the command of ever
visitor.