The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1915-08-21
THE LAW POINTS THE WAY
Legislative Enactment Provides Method of Raising Funds
for Construction of Bayou Lafourche Lock-Obliga-
tion Resting Upon Levee Boards Can No Longer be
Disregarded-State Must Keep Faith.

Lemann of Donaldsonville, and pub
lished in last Sundays edition of that
paper:
Editor Tim as-Pieayune:
Your several editorials publish
ed last year and again this past month
calling attention to the fact that the
construction of locks at the head OF
Bayou Lafourche was a matter in
which the state of Louisiana stands
pledged to the national government
and that the time has arrived for ac-
| ton being taken toward their con-
struction, have been read with great
deal of interest by all those deeply
concerned in this matter. In your ed
itorial published July 20 you sug-
gested that the only possible question
was as to the supplying of funds and
called upon those who have been wag-
ing the campaign to point the way
whereby the funds could be realized.
| With a view of giving the public
the benefit of the entire legislation
on this subject, and at the same time
to point out clearly the way whereby
funds are available for the locks, I
shall briefly state the various proceed
ings which have taken place on this
subject.
AS far back as 1883 the general as
sembly of the state of Louisiana, rec
| ognizing the Importance of Bayou La
fourche, passed two concurrent reso-
| lutions Resolutions Nos 27 and 28
of 1889 calling upon congress to
make appropriations for Bayou La
FL, oF
and the great and growing trade be-
tween the Lafourche valley and the
outer world, to the end that Bayou
Lafourche should be kept in good
navigable condition the year round.
In 1898, the state legislature mem
oralized congress to build locks in
Bayou Lafourche.
In it's report to Governor Murphy j.
Foster in 1900 the board Of state en-
gineers stated that "A study of these
conditions ton Bayou Lafourchel has
led the engineers who have given
them attention and the thinking peo-
pie Of the locality to request of the
national government the closure of
Bayou Lafourche at it's. head near
Donaldsonville with lock, which
would relieve them from further dan
ger of overflow and at the same time
would give them water transportation
for their crops and supplies" In
| 1900, acting upon this recommends
ton of the state engineers, together
with that of the fea5saI engineers,
Act was passed which authorized
the closing of Bayou Lafourche by
locks.
There is not single word in this
act regarding the building Of dam or
in any way authorizing the closing Of
Bayou Lafourche by dam. Section
two of Act of 1900 provides how the
work Of constructing locks shall be
paid for 1t is made by that act the
imperative duty of the treasurer of
the state to set aside yearly out of the
revenues of said boards an amount
sufficient to meet said notes as they
mature, and said notes shall be a pre-
ferred claim of the bonds heretofore
authorized to be issued by said
boards"
Thus plainly it is seen, by the man.
datory terms of this statute, the rev.
enues of these two boards after pay
ment of the interest on the Their out
standing bonds are irrevocably dedi-
Gated, set aside and appropriated to
paying for the locks.
In 1902 the state legislature au-
thorized the placing of temporary
dam pending only Che construction of
locks. On February %, 1904, the
dam was completed. From that date
for period of two and half years
the joint organization took no steps
toward building the lock, although
the time limit for the completion Of
locks was to expire by 1907.
In 1906 at the session Of the state
legislature another concurrent resolu-
ton was adopted. This resolution, af-
ter reciting the fact that the dam had
been in Bayou Lafourche since 1904,
and nothing had been done toward
constructing locks, directed the two
1evee boards to proceed to take
the needful steps to build the locks
required of them under the acts OF the
general assembly,. (See Act Al OF
19O6).
On October %, 1906, bids for locks
were rejected as excessive, the
amount of the bids being $6O2, ,942.5 81.
In 1907, $4,000 was appropriated for
the preparation of plans for the locks,
but for seven long years nothing was
ever done by the boards to secure
these plans for which the taxpayers
money had been spent, resolutions
calling for these plans having been
repeatedly voted down by members OF
the Atchafalaya district. Finally IN
August, 1914, the plans were furnlsf1-
ed the levee boards by Col. Lansing
II. Beach, with estimates showing that
locks could be constructed for $400,-
600. Nearly year elapsed without
any action being taken on these plans.
At the recent meeting held on July
10, 1915, in spite of a determined eff
fort on the part of certain members
of the Atchafalaya district in oppos1,-
tion thereto, the plans were approved
by the joint organization, and these
plans are Immediately to be approved
by the board of state engineers and
forwarded to the secretary of war for
his approval.
Although since 1904 no provision
whatsoever has been made for the
construction of locks, the joint or
ganization operating under the very
law which calls for locks has spent
over half million of dollars on Ba-
you Lafourche, more than enough to
pay for the locks called for by the
law.
The joint organization is now
spending from $4,000 to $50, ,00e an
nually on Bayou Lafourche endeavor-
ing to carry out some of the incident
al provisions of the act Of 1902, but
doing nothing toward the main OBJ