New Britain herald., 1916-05-11

'iilo SIodl prODlen anu "ol "A IL ouI' Ii is too large a problem for in dividuals, levee districts or even states to work out alone. It must be done by intelligent cooperation with the general government. It seems 10 me, it ought to be possible to work out plan by which the United States would finance and control this work, but that the lands specially benefited should bear at least the major portion Of the expense. No such idea is contained in this bill, but it proceeds upon the same old theory that while the benefit is large ly special the cost shall be made general under the same old river inn provement guise.
 II believe in river and harbor inn provement wherever there is business to justify it. I believe that more money rather than loss should be ex- pended in deepening harbors, keep ing open the channels of rivers and in opening up new waterways, but I would insist that before large sums of public money are expended on such work it should be clearly demon- strated that the commerce is act Lally there to be carried. If it is there in sufficient quantity, the most effective and most economical means of carrying it should be provided, put l am opposed to projects of the character pointed out not equal in value to the sums expended for inn provement
 The passing of this bill as it is written will set bad precedent and open wide the door for such pork appropriations as Congress has never known before. It is frankly stated that this is just the beginning. The gentlemen from Indana (Mr. Wood) in his remarks last Wednesday said:
 It the project commenced with this measure is carried out, as it is the intention of the committee 1t should be, the flood waters of the Wabash, White and Miami rivers will be controlled and the awful havoc and destruction committed by them in 1913 will be rendered impossible of repetition.
 Yes and there are hundreds of other streams in the country in addi- tion to the Wabash, the White and the Miami just as destructive to lands along their banks when floods come. I shall cite just two instances Tn widely separated parts of the country, both having come under my own personal observation.
 Tn the Southern Appala.chianI the Blue Ridge in the watershed, while the highest crest of the AL leghany range is the boundary be- tween North Carolina and Tennes- see. Four rivers rising in Virginia and North Carolina break through the Alleghany range and flow down through the upper East Tennessee Valley, the Holsten, Watanga Noli- chucky and French Broad. In 1901 there was a somewhat unusual flood in these rivers destroying land and buildings, mostly land, to the estimat- cd value of ten millions of dollars. Like the dwellers along the lower Mississippi, the land owners of Ten nessee were helpless. Virginia and North Carolina gathered their com bine waters and hurled them through the mountain gorges upon Tennessee. Why should not the gov ernment come to the rescue. erect levees and revet the banks of these rivers in order to protect the allu- vial bottoms along their banks? The answer will be, it should and 1t will, if this bill is to determine our policy, for I never knew Tennessee to miss a trick especially when the old flag and an appropriation are involved.
 "The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Wood) tells 1t is not a sectional bill. He says:
 That it is not intended that this improvement is to be sectional is adequately proven by this initiatory measure, which provides not only for the flood control of the Mississippi River, but for the flood control of the Sacramento river in far away California, this demonstrating that the people of the South have joined hands with the people of the West to assist each other for the common good of all their citizens and as readily will they respond and join hands with the people of the North and the people of the East
 "Yes, and will be sure to join hands with enough to pass the bill. The amendment of the gentleman from South Dakota (Mr. Dillon) are Illuminating on this point. He proposed to strike out Mississippi river from the head of the passes to the mouth of the Ohio river and in sert Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers and their tributaries' Of course he should have included the Connecticut river. After informing us that the Missouri is the impor- tant river and the Mississippi only tributary to it he goes on in support of his amendment:
 Tt seems to be that we will be making a great mistake if we do not take into consideration these pro- positions. To do things by piece meal will be a failure. I want to see this bill perfected so that we can all support it; simply doing it by sections in the form of levees, will mean a miserable failure. I hope