The sun., 1916-12-28
SENATE IN REVOLT
OYER PORK BARREL


Continued from First Page.
estimate at that time Of the expense Of
not only building The levees but protect
ING them by revetment was 322S. ooo. 900.
OF this expense the owners Of the land.
II the bill goes through in Its present
form. will pay about SO. 900, 900.
II wa testified also before the com
created and owned by private individuals
and syndicates could reasonably be de-
pended upon to produce annually some
thing like 500. 000. 900 worth Of cotton
Sixteen million acres Of the geologi-
cal cream Of the EARTH" said Representa-
tive Humphreys Of Mississippi, chair
man Of the flood committee, growing elo-
magic touch to spring into helds Of wav-
ing beauty"
Filled with this spirit Representatives
Humphreys and his Southern associates
Immediately drew up q bill by which 95
per cent. at least Of the ultimate cost
Of this gigantic scheme II to be saddled
not upon the men who will reap his
cotton harvest but upon the taxpayers
OF the country as a whole. nine-tehths
Of the money coming from the North.
The four States Of Alabama. Arkansas.
Louisiana and Tennessee paid last year
In income and corporation taxes. accord
ing to the report OF the Internal Revenue
Commissioner. q total of $3.50. 900.
Advice Disregarded.
Southern statesmen nov In control Of
Congress have been the first to advance
this principle that private lands shall
be reclaimed at public expense. And IN
basing this latest pork" bill on this prin-
| rin1a THAI havA srtNArrx. ltcrA1ardaA Tho
opinion OF a governmental commission
appointed some years ago when the
projectors OF this huge real estate scheme
first began knocking ut the doors Of Con-
gress.
This commission. the United States
National Waterways Commission. made
q careful investigation OF the whole SUBJ
ject here and in Europe. Senator Bur
ton was the chairman. Others on the
commission were Senators Simmons.
North Carolina: Clarke. Arkansas. and
Representative Sparkman. Florida. now
chairman Of the Rivers and Harbors
Committee. and Moon Of Tennessee. The
Southerners signed tho report, which de-
clared that waterways improvements
made by the Federal Government should
be restricted to navigation and added
this:
whenever bank protection or hood
prevention or tho Qualification OF water
Ii the sole object of improvements. the
question presents little difficulty In its
solution. Such projects arc not a proper
charge upon the Federal Treasury.
In many instances. proposed
Improvements have az their main object
the protection or benefit OF private prop
cTty. In such cases there Is a distinct
benefit conferred upon individuals or
localities which Is only OF "A remote or
very indirect benefit to the country as
q whole.
LANDS subject to periodical overflow
or lands Of uncertain value because OF
the danger OF erosion when improved
are multiplied many times In value. and
there Is a constant danger that such i'm
provements will be advocated under the
Ruise OF river and harbor legislation.
framed to benefit navigation. when the
real object is tho benefit which will ac-
crue TO individuals or localities.
The line hould be carefully drawn be-
tween improvements which. in whole or
In part. are for the protection or develop
ment OF private property and those
which are made In the sole interest OF
navigation"
River Comnission's View.
This report was supposed to give the
Quietus to a lot OF little lane projects that
had been knocking round Congress. But
with legislation completely within their
control the Southerners decided to ig-
more II 30 far as It affected their Mis-
siss!ppi land scheme. They have done
this also in the face OF a report by the
Mississippi River Commission itself to
the effect that while the levees would TO
n certain extent improve the channel
their immediate and main value Is the
reclamation OF the alluvial and for the
benefit Of their owners"
There are $4,000. 900 acres OF land in
VOWED In this Mississippi River real
estate scheme. and that is only 20 per
cent. OF the estimated total In this coun-
try which might be so reclaimed and
improved for the benefit of their owners.
The prime motive power behind this
land scheme. disguised under the name
Of flood control" 1t was asserted to-day.
has been the Mississippi River Levee As
ISOLATION. with headquarters at Memphis.
The influence OF this Organization has
pervaded the entire South and has
reached even into the North. It has been
working up the scheme for several years.
Every Congressman and Senator has
received from II books beautifully bound
In leather containing pictures OF Misis-
sippi River floods. II has dwell much
upon the flood and little upon the land
Nv u ~ V'NN " en-
tract support from legislators in North
ern States by placing the blame for these
floods upon the waters those States con-
tributed to swell the torrent OF the Mis-
sissppi. II has represented that the
Southern States were the victims OF
Northern freshets. OF the immense BEN
EFT to thousands Of land companies and
individuals that this scheme meant
scarcely anything has been said.
II IL asserted that any real scheme of
fooi control would not be designed so az
to MI up all the openings and spillways
along tho river. as Is contemplated in
his scheme. So far az navigation goes.
II 10 pointed out by opponents OF this
wholesale pork" measure. Sl5s.000. 900
has already been spent on tho Mississippi
In the river and harbor bills and to-day
navigation is as good as II ever will be.
Az the Southern landowners along tho
Mississippi are to get most OF the benen,
Of this scheme II In asserted that they
should pay for II in the same manner
that the benenciaries of tho Western
irrigation scheme have done.
Bill ArtfuIly Drawn.
As showing how artfully the bill has
|, been drawn. II was pointed out to-day. a
little clause has been tucked into Il
.ll.t. .n,,u ShaA $40 ,o,trlh,,tla. .u..l. L..