Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-08-04
AAMlEY ExoNERATtO.
Expenditures in East Carroll Deemed
Necessary and Reasonable.
Especial from Lake Providence.

NopcCldi from Lake frONlutuCtl
Lake Providence, La, July 80.
Messrs. Frank H. Curry and &. w.
Van Hoose of st. Joseph, Tensas parish,
and ]. w. Oden Of Concordia parish,
composing committee of disinterested
citizens appointed by the president of the
Board of Commissioners Of the Fifth
Louisiana Levee District, were in Fast
Carroll parish and Lake Providence to
make an investigation of the high water
fight of 1916 in the parish of East Carroll,
following charges of waste of public mon
ey, made by Commissioner X. l.. Hill
against Commissioners f.. J. Hamley, both
of East Carroll parish. at meeting OF the
Levee Board i'm Talulah during the
latter part of the month Of May. at which
a personal encounter was precipitated be-
tween Messrs. Hamley and Hill. The
committee went over the line of levee in
East Carroll parish, heard Messrs. Hill
and Hamley, and took the evidence OF a
number of levee officials and citizens, and
examined the bills paid and the records
of the Levee Board at Tallulah, Ia. and
to-day gave out the following report;
| Talulah, La. July rs. 1916.
To the President and Board OF Commits
| sioners for the Fifth Louisiana Levee
District:
We, the undersigned committee APP
pointed by your honorable body to inves-
sioner l.. r. Hill of Fast Carroll parish
to the effect that his colleague, Commits
sioner F.. J. Hamley, had spent the pub
lies money unnecessarily, and to serve
his own political interests, beg to report
to you onr findings az follows:
On Thursday, July y, and Friday
July %, 1916, by the invitation of Presi-
dent f. C. Rhodes, of the Fifth Louisiana
Levee Board, we made the trip of inspec-
ton over the levees of East Carroll parish
for the purpose of getting'a proper know
ledge of the situation where high water
fight was made during the early part Of
this year. We made an investigation of
the general conditions that were to be
met during the high-water fight, and we
asked for and received testimony from
the property owners and prominent citi-
zens along this line of levee, and after
gathering all information possible we
came to Tallulah and resumed session
there, and in the office of your Board We
examined the official records and the ex-
pense vouchers paid for the high-wate
fight for the parish of East Carroll during
the spring of 1916, and after examining
all vouchers in detail we came to the
conclusion that the expenditures therefor
were necessary and reasonable.
We further examined these expendi-
lures for the purpose of ascertaining if
any expenditures were made for political
purposes, and we find that Commissioner
Hill has failed to sustain his charge, and
that the expenditures were made i'm the
ordinary course of business, and with the
approval of the property owners interested
in holding the levees.
Upon the testimony and facts brought
to our knowledge, we have reached this
conclusion, viz: That the charges made
against Commissioner Hamley by Commits
sioner Hill has not been sustained by the
evidence or records; and we hereby ex-
onerate Commissioner Hamley from any
and all charges made by Commissioner
Hill, either by letter or otherwise; and
we commend the conduct of Mr.. Hamley
in the high-water fight of 1916.
Respectfully submitted,
| IF. II. CURRY
Signed J. w. ODEN
&c. w. VAN HOOSE
| Committee.