The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-03-27

eminent by combining their systems
of highways and canals have shown
us how to proceed. And now that
the Government is going to assist in
building post roads, l look for rapid
development along these lines.
Twenty years ago upon first
coming to Congress, l inaugurated
the legislation that is just now
reaching a elimination in the Inter
coastal Canal. That was before the
present idea Preparedness had
taken such firm hold upon the pub
lie imagination, yet, even in that
day the Importance of better pre-
paration was realized by those who
devoted any study to the problem
Of our national defense. In fact,
it was this idea that ! introduced
the original bill for the construc-
ton of the Intercoastal Canal In
order to avoid any charge Of section
advantage its military usefulness
was placed above the benefits that
commerce would derive from its
construction, and the bill provided
for the construction of an inland
water route that would facilitate the
movement of troops, munitions and
supplies from bases along the Miss
issippi River to the Mexican border
which would be safe in transit from
attack from the sea. This idea met
with a favorable response in Con-
gress and gradually the plan ma
terialized. 1t has been long, hard,
and at times, discouraging fight,
but it is about to be crowned with
success. But the Intercoastal
Canal will never realize the full ex-
pectations of its originators until it !
is fed with a net work of smaller
canals and the adjacent country is
thoroughly drained. At the side of
every one of those lateral canals
there should be highway suitable
# necessary for mail route In
fact, the earth excavated in the very
digging of the canal furnishes the
foundation for the highway, and it
should be topped and surfaced in
such fashion as to make is service
able to the population that will move
in as fast as the work of reclama-
ion proceeds.
We already have concrete illus
ration Of the feasibility of this.
the past two years progress
'ive citizens at local expense have
iredged canal and built road
through the swamps between Des
and Lockport. The road
IS now being surfaced with gravel
and when it is completed will insure
direct and easy land travel from
New Orleans to the Terrebonne,
Lafourche and Teche Districts. In
complete as this road is at present,
t is interesting to know that it al
'eady figures in the plans of defense
# the war Department and in the
event heavy concentrations of mu-
,itions were required on the Rio
;rande it would probably be utilliz-
I'd by the transport service of the
Army.
A vast amount Of similar work,
however, is required in this State,
md it is because thought there
would be vast opportunities to assist
'ur people in this direction when
he work that is just unfolding be-
ore the Committee on Post Offices
md Post Roads is inaugurated that
welcomed an assignment on that ,
While on the subject of drainage
may be pardoned for calling atten-
ion to the fact that at the session
Which was just closed I was success
vi in laying the foundation for
mother project upon which l have
cen working for many years. This
wolves the extension of the juris-
teton of the Mississippi River
commission to include the Atchafa-
IVA River. The Atchafalaya is as
uch part Of the Mississippi as
lie lower Mississippi itself. There
no rhyme or reason for imposing
lie expense and maintenance of an