The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1915-07-24

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put fight to restore navigable CON
s1munication between the Mississippi
river and Bayou Lafourche by mean
of the construction of a lock in tn
latter stream at Donaldsonville wa
accomplished Monday, when the join
organization of the Atchafalaya an
Lafourche basin levee boards passe
a resolution approving and adopt
ing the plans for the lock as pre-
pared by Col. Lansing Il. Bach, o
the U. S. Corps of Engineers, nd pro
viding that these plans and Staelf .
cations, upon approval by the Boar
of State Engineers, be at once sub
mitted to the United States Secre
tary of War for adoption and ap
prevail. This action was taken afte
lengthy and spirited discussion o
the entire matter of the lock sand dar
project and a forceful presentation o
the duty of the levee boards in tn
premises, by number of speaker
representing the aroused citizenry o
Ascension, Assumption, Lafourch
and Terrebonne parishes.
Both Boards Present.
The occasion of the demonstration
was the semi-annual meeting Of thu
joint organization of the levee boards
which was convened at noon in tn
office of the Lafourche board with thu
full membership of both bodies in at
tendance, as follows:
Lafourche board j. F. Wigginton
Lafourche, president; Robert G. Mar
tilfs Jr., Assumption; F. B. Lemann
Ascension; Clerville Himel, ST. James
George Lorio, St. Charles; A
Champagne, St. John; C. Viering
jefferson; r. Perez, Plaquemines; t
" Thaggard, MeDonoghville, repre-
senting the railroads.
Atchafalaya board-V. NJ LIE
febyre, West Baton Rouge, president
Albert Levert, St. Martinville; Dr.
w. H. King, Iberia; II. G. Pitcher ane
E. T. Merrick, Jr., Pointe Coupee; A
H. Gay, Iberville;; j. A. HUMPHREYS
Terrebonne.
Major F. M. Kerr, chief of the
Board of State Engineers, Assistant
Engineer Joseph w. Monget, and Sec
retaries T. G. Erwin of the Atchafa-
laya board and Hector Himel and
John Truxillo of the Lafourche board
were also in attendance.
Big Delegation of Taxpayers.
Fully two hundred citizens and tax
payers of the Lafourche valley, hail
ing from every parish and community
in the fertile section extending from
Donaldsonville to the Gulf, were pres
ent to enforce the demand that some
action be taken by the levee boards
to fulfill their legal and moral obliga-
ton to erect a lock in lieu of the dam.
The assembly was one that command
ed respect not only for its size and
spirit of determination, but because
of the character of the men who COM
posed it, included among whom were
many of the foremost citizens, plant
ers, business men and civic and polit-
ical leaders of the four parishes that
constitute the populous valley of the
Lafourche.
The proceedings were opened with
the introduction Of the following res
olutions by President Wiggington of
the Lafourche board:
Whereas, in April, 1914, at a hear
ing before the United States senate
committee on commerce, the ques-
ton of extending the time for the
Of lock at the head of
Bayou Lafourche by the joint organi-
cation of the Lafourche and Atchafa-
laya basin levee districts, in lieu of
the earthen dam now, under certain
conditions and limitations, maintain
ing, was fully considered and discuss
ed, showing the inability Of the levee
districts to at that time proceed with
the undertaking, and resulting in a
tentative proposition to, after sur
vey and examination by the United
States engineers and report as to
It's necessity submitted, to be order
ed by congress, provide for it's cost
Jointly by the United States, the La
fourche levee district and the Atcha-
falaya levee district, in the proportion
IF one-half by the United States and
each by the levee districts;
md
Whereas, the rivers and harbors
oill of March 4, 1916, contains pro-
,ision and appropriation for such
survey, examinations, report, etc.
and
Whereas, from causes well known
md established, not only has there
since been a great reduction in the
'evenues of the levee districts. due
o series of flood years and increas-
ng flood heights, but the remodeling
IND rebuilding to new grades and sec
ions, advanced and recommended by
he United States engineers, of al
most the entire levee system has re-
Iuired and will for some years to
'ome still require expenditures so
ar in excess of the limited resources
lvailable that no part of such re
ources can now less than ever be-
ore be spared to defray the cost of
the lock in question, without
erious sacrifice to the lines of de-
ense on the Mississippi river. any
allure of which would beyond all
Ioubt bring about most disastrous
Consequences; therefore be it
Provision for Lock.
Resolved, that as the construction
nd operation of such a lock is rec
gnized to be of such immediate mo-
1ent as to demand early provision
herefor, this board does hereby petit
ion congress to, at its next session,
lake provision for the building of
UGH lock, approaches, etc, as4eYeU Fl
pom the completion of the6e 5Fvgy
rovided for in the rivers andkearbors
i'll Of March A, 1915, be Deemed nee
ssary by the United States engineers,
ne cost thereof to be borne joint
: by the United States, the Lafourche
wee district and the Atchafalaya
wee district, in the proportion of |
ne-half by the UnitedStates and one
,urth each by the levee districts, as