The Donaldsonville chief., 1914-04-18
STATUS OF THE LOCK AND DAM
QUESTION.

QUESIION.
It is encouraging to learn from
Washington dispatches to the NE"
Orleans daily newspapers tnat as a
result of the hearing before the SEN
ate committee on commerce last Wed.
nesday. the rivers and harbors Dlll
now pending in congress VIII III ali
probability be amended so as TO rec
ognize the legality and righteous
ness of the demand for the construc-
ton of a lock in Bayou Lafourche at
Donaldsonville, and to authorize the
maintenance of the existing Gam
until the lock is installed.
The BAYOU Lafourche Lock Asso-
citation was represented at the near
ing by Mayor Walter Lemann OF
Donaldsonville and District Attorney
p H Gilbert of NapoleonVille, both
of whom made strong arguments IN
behalf of the public interests tnat
are being injured and hampereo py
the unreasonable delay IN carrying
out the contract entered INTO Dy
the Atchafalaya and Lafourche ba-
sin leyee boards to replace the tenn
porary dam with a lock.
In addition to forceful and elo-
ouent speech on the subject, Mayor
Lemann distributed to the members
of the commerce committee power
full brief. reciting the history of the
lock-and-dam controversy, reviewing
the long fight that has been Waged
in and out of the courts, first TO
prevent the damming Of the bayou,
and subsequently to compel the leyee
boards to fulfill their obligation to
restore the navigable connection OF
the bayou with the Mississippi river
by means of lock; and his array
of cold facts and logical arguments
could not fail to impress the fair
minded committeeman with the mer-
it and justice of the popular out
cry for the action he advocated.
Mr.. Gilbert followed in brief but
cogent summary OF the situation
involving these propositions: 1.
There can be no question that the
levee boards are legally and morally
bound to build the locks. 2. The
leYee boards have no money with
which to fulfill this obligation. 8.
The rule of the federal government
is not to undertake such work until
there has been survey and estl-
mate of cost by the army engineers.
4. No such survey and estimate nav
ing yet been made, there can be no
Immediate appropriation for the con
struction of the lock. 5. A provl-
sion should be inserted in the pend
ing bill authorizing an immediate
survey and estimate for the Install
alton of a lock, and authorizing the
retention of the dam until that
work is accomplished.
Mr.. Lemann coincided in this view
as practicable and reasonable, and
it is confidently expected the SEN
ate committee will do likewise and
recommend amendment of the bill
accordingly.
Major Frank Nc. Kerr, chief state
engineer, President v. M. LefebVre
of the Atchafalaya basin levee board,
and Commissioner J. A. Humphreys
of the same board also addressed
the committee, explaining the
financial inability Of the levee
boards to provide for the construc-
ton of the lock and the disastrous
results that would follow the removal
of the dam before a lock is built to
replace it.
Altogether the hearing was full
| and luminous exposition of the lock-
and-dam problem from every stand
| point, and has brought the matter
before the attention Of congress and
| the country in a manner that can
scarcely fail to hasten its solution.
This is precisely what the adVo-
Gates Of the lock have sought to
accomplish by their vigorous and per-
sistent agitation of the subject.
They know the dam cannot be torn
away until lock is ready to be op-
Grated in it's stead. and they ap-
preciate the poverty Of the levee
boards and the preference that must
be given to the maintenance Of the
levee line that protects the Atcha-
faiaya and Lafourche districts from
overflow. What they seek is that
this knowledge shall be impaired to
the federal government and the gen
eral public, and that the levee boards
shall confess their inability to carry
out their agreement and join in the
appeal to congress to come to the
rescue and do for Bayou Lafourche
what was done for Bayou Plaquemine.
The DonaldsonVille lock can be built
for approximately a third the cost
of the Plaquemine lock, it is esti-
mated, and there are even greater
interests and a larger number Of
people to be benefited by the re-
storation OF the navigation of the
Lafourche than were affected by the
reopening Of the connection between
Bayou Plaquemine and the Missis-
SiDDi river