Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-06-16
Absent.
G.. C.. GOLDMAN.


The purpose of the Call was TO in
vestigate the charges made by Mr.
&. Hill, in his letter of resignation to tn,
Governor OF Louisiana, and published
In the Press of the 18th of April, 1916
as follows:
Lake Providence. La. April 1916.
Governor l.. w. Hall.
Baton Rouge, La:
Owing to the fact that | disapprOvt
of the methods pursued by the Fifth
Louisiana Levee Board and have beer
unable to do anything toward mitiga
ting the evils going on, | hereby ten
der my resignation as member from
East COrroll Parish. Membership up
on this board involves much labor and
loss of time from my business without
adequate remuneration, and since
have no sympathy with political ma
chimes and the waste of the peoples
tax money to further private political
ends. ! beg you To relieve me from
further service.
With thanks for the honor conferred
and hoping my successor may be able
to accomplish more good than ]. am,
Yours respectfully,
r. l. HILL,
Commissioner, Fifth Louisiana Levee
Board for the Parish of East Carroll
By Mr. Rhodes: Gentlemen the OBJ
ject OF this meeting was for the pur-
pose of investigating charges made by
one Of its members. Mr.. Hill, i'm let
ter published in the Times-Picayune of
the 18th of April. | thought before
going into this matter Mr.. Hill would
like to make a statement.
BY Mr.. Hill: If it is the desire of
the Board I will do so.
By Mr.. Young: move that tho
Board will hear Mr.. Hills statement.
(This motion was carried.)
By Mr.. Hill: Since this is matter
liable to misconstruction, l have hur-
riedly and not very fully, prepared
statement that l would like to read and
file with your Secretary, and with your
permission | will just read this State
ment.
(Mr. Hill then reads as follows:)
Mr.. President and Members of the
Fifth District Levee Board: When /
rendered my resignation as a member
OF this Board to the Governor some
weeks ago, ! did so under a sense of
disgust at things which had occurred
for which ! considered the Board in a
measure primarily, IL indirectly. re-
sponsible. 1t has been the practice of
the Board to permit members to ex-
ercise the privilege and powers of the
Board without specific authorization.
II this has resulted in evil the Board.
OF course, is responsible and | do not
hesitate to criticize II for its methods.
have been reluctant in relation to the
structures implied by the language of
my resignation to enter any bill of
Particulars" The sneers of certain
newspapers have had no effect in
changing m yopinion, as ] am indiffer-
ent to the distinction" of appearing
In the "imperishable cold print" of
their newspapers.
THE Governor has seen fit not to |
accept my resignation and | am here |
today as member still. of this Board; |
! am here not to apologize for anything /
! nave said, for ] have meant no Of |
tense to any Of you; am here not to
eat my words, but to substantiate to |
any reasonable man every charge I |
have remotely implied am here to
call your attention and the attention 4
OF the people OF this Levee District
to the need of retrenchment and some
more efficient and economical man.
agement Of the business of this Board
The stand taken by Governor Pleasant
encourages me in the hope not of be-
ing re-appointed on the Board, for do
not want the place. but that the air
ing OF my differences with others may
result In some good to the taxpayers
In the Parish which I in part rep
resent on this Board, political influen-
ces have been too potent in Levee af-
lairs, and for many years II is motor
fous that there has been a riot of waste
and extravaganza every high water. At
the last meeting Of the Board previous
10 this years high water. which I at
tended, the Board passed at my insti-
cation what conceived to be a resolu.
ton calculated to minimize this partic.
ular evil. That Resolution was to the
eHect that In all emergency expend.
lures. the resident members with the X
PRESIDENT be vested with authority IN
hct Tor The Board. NV idea and in.
tent was to curtail the individual now
err OF each member. acting alone: ne
some cooperation and dis
cussion oy at least the resident com.
before important things
we're done. But this plan was declared
mpractcable and ! was informed bv
me PRESIDENT that the old practice of
sscn member having control of expend.
lures IN his half OF the Parish. wasf
stiii In effect; that all latitude and no ?
limit was still the rule.
We'll. the fight opened earIv IN
East Carroll Parish this year. Large il
numbers OF our people believe in pre. ?
'aredness. Before the grass roots c
we're wet at the base of the leyee Ian.
lary the END. riding guards were mt S
N. | 40 not know how many there r
we're started out at this date. but q
10 Know that found that on Sunday r
anuard 23rd. two at least were cover. d
ne portion of my line Of I,evee t
sorth OF Providence. Thew were sent c
mere without my knowledge. | told
ne gentlemen that I had charge of b
ne Levee North Of Providence and "
nat something else beside an election n
'ouId have to be in sight before 7 r.
'ould agree to put men riding the Fl
wees there at $3.50 per day: that n e.
hey expected to be paid they had bet.
y go South of Town. They went. II
Don after the election of January In
TN. the whole high water brigade Il
'emed to be on the levee at Provi. e'
snce. Things soon got busy. The NJ
)und OF lumber falling from wagons. r