The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1915-11-20
THE LOCK HEARING NEXT
TUESDAY.

1t is gratifying to oW that the
! Donaldsonville Chambe1 Of Commerce
| is con the Job" with reference to the
lock hearing to be held by Major
I Edward H. Schulz, United States en-
pineer. on next Tuesday, the 23Fd
inst. in the Office Of the Lafourche
/ Basin levee board, and that DEFINITE
plans have been formulated and are
4 in process of execution for making
a strong presentation Of the just
claims of this community and the La
/ fourche valley at large that the dam
at the head of Bayou LafourcEle
should be replaced by lock and that
| the federal government should con-
| tribute at least one-half the cost Oh
/ the locks construction
AT meeting of the chamber Of
commerce convened the evening of
the 18th inst, committee consisting
of S. Prejean, Mayor Walter Lemann
and Charles Maurin was appointed to
see to the compilation Of the tonnage
statistics called for in Major Schulz's
notice of the hearing. This lnforma-
ton is expected to cover IAN accu-
rate and complete statement Of the
present tonnage of the stream, giving
it's character and value, and between
what points on the bayou; also what
part Of the present and prospective
commerce would move through the
lock and between what points; also
a statement of the commerce from
the bayou to the river before the dam
was placed
A subscription list was started at
the ing and $197.50 was imr1l~..'.:9
ately pledged toward defraying the
cost of obtaining the required Stats
tics and meeting such other expenses
as may be attached to the proper
presentation of the affirmative side
Of the lock question. The committee
engaged Karl Leche and Theo. Ago
to traverse the Bayou Lafourche sec
ton from DonaldsonvHmhto the Gulf
and obtain written e3.- sions from
the residents >eoncernit wv. the neces-
sity for the lock, as well as signed
statements from merchants, planters
and others interested as to approx
mate tonnage that formerly passed
up and down the bayou and that will
again be transported on that stream
when it's navigability and connection
with the Mississippi river are re
stored.
The solicitors were also authorized
to obtain further contributions to the
campaign fund, and special meet
ing of the chamber of commerce was
appointed for last evening to receive
the report Of the committee and con-
clude arrangements for the presenta-
ton of the data to Major Schulz on
the occasion of the hearing at 1890
o'clock next Tuesday forenoon.
Just how specific the statistics
called for in the notice of the hearing
can be made is largely matter OF
conjecture, but it can be safely as
sumed, we believe, that the informa-
ton gathered by the alert and intell1-
gent solicitors will be as full and re-
liable as the facilities and limited
time available for the work would
allow, and we trust there will be no
question as to its sufficlency IN dem
onstrating the practical need for the
Of the Bayou Lafourche
to commerce. The legality and JUS
LlcG OIL LIE popAldiE hEitifaiid ~ e eAet '
restoration are too apparent and too
well established to- be longer a de- |
batable or d ,puteg proposition, and
inasmuch as The consent OF the fed /
eral government, represented by
the secretary Of was was a condition.
precedent to the closure of the
stream, there's undoubtedly meas
ure of moral bligation Testing upon
that government to assist the over
burdened local authorities in meeting /
the cost of putting the bayou again
in commission, SO to speak, as an
artery of commerce and navigation
and an essential element in the sani-
tary well-being Of the populous and
section Of country through |
which the stream takes its course.
The Chief repeats its suggestion of
last week that representative citizens
from the different localities most /
concerned in the building of
the lock and the rehabilitation of the
bayou should attend next Tuesdays |
hearing to aid in supplying any in
formation or arguments that may be
omitted from the documents filed or
that may tend to render the claim of
the people for federal aid clearer and
stronger.