St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1919-08-23

wee DOdIu COuIIO1s H0lS oSSNPN~SAS ~
the government and levee board en-
gineers, and they should have
shown. and still should be re-
ouired to show, not only the details OF
the work, but estimates Of the cost
thereof, so that this cost can be com
pared with the estimated income to be
derived from the district by taxation
and the taxpayers shown that any
work contemplated will not merely be
commenced, but will be completed In
such a manner as to benefit the tax
payers.
While no published statement has
been made, definitely outlining what
the promoters of the district propose
to have done, it has been stated that
one branch of the project is to put In
a lock at Krotz Springs, dam the Bay
GU Courtableau at its junction with
the Atchafalaya River, and to widen
and clean out Bayou Latannier and
other waterways lying behind the le-
wees on the western side of Atchafala-
va River. It is also stated that 9TH
err works are promised to taxpayers in
Pointe Coupee. One objection of the
taxpayers opposing this project is that
the work talked of, if completed prop
erly. will cost as much as the entire
assessed valuation of the district. The
lock at Plaquemine alone cost some
thing like $4,000 ,000. Ii government
and leyee board aid is expected, the
project should first be submitted to the
officers in charge for approval. Ii
the nature of the work contemplated
is correctly stated, ii, cannot be COM
pleted without government and leyee
board aid, and to start it and not COM
plete it would be a mere waste OF the
money of the taxpayers, and might
cause serious loss to those who would
suffer from the incompleted works.
Another objection urged is that the
Red River, A~tchafalaya and Bayou
Boeuf Levee Board, which is already
levying a heavy ad palorem and acre
age tax in the proposed district, has
recently let a large contract to en-
large and clean out the back levee
waterways ~traversing this district, and
until their work is completed,
any attempt by an indepen-
dent body to do similar work in the
same section would merely create con-
fusion and waste.
Prominent capitalists from Spring
field, illinois, have recently purchased
large tract of land lying on both sides
of the Bayou C~ourtableau between
Port Barre and the junction Of the
bayou with the Atchafalaya River, and
intend to develop these lands for agri-
cultural purposes. They propose to
add their influence to that of the tax
payers living at Washington, Port
Barre and other points along the
C~ourtableau, to have the drifts and
sand bars in that bayou removed by
government action, and navigation
once more restored on the old Courta'
bleau water route.
The promoters of the Krotz Springs
Navigation District openly have pro
posed to dam the C~ourtableau at Its
mouth, and in lieu of navigation along
the old and established level water
route, propose to put in a lock a
Krotz Springs and by enlarging thai
Bayou and other small waterways con
Meeting with the Courtableau at Oar
bonnie Bay, to divert navigation up
ward through the proposed lock a
Krotz Springs.
am informed that the feasibility
of the project to divert such navtga
ton through Bayou Latannier and 9th
er small streams is very doubtful tt
say the least as the enlargement o
these bayous and the construction OF
lock at Krotz Springs would be a stu
pendous project, and after completol
might prove to be ineffective for tn
reason that when the water is low II
the Atchafalaya, most of these small
streams are dry, and for severa
months Of the year no navigation
would be possible. AS there is Away
water in Bayou Courtableau some o
the parties represented by me thin
it would be better to reopen the Coul
tableau at its mouths, and then proven
the periodical overflow Of the land
adjacent hereto by the flood waters 9
the Atchafalaya by the 1874 of gate
or protection levees. With united az
ton this relief can be obtained fror
the Government and the Levee Boar
without further taxation.
The lines Of the proposed navigs
ton district are so drawn as to il
clude practically no persons actuall
living within its bounds, and therefor
qualified to vote, except the small SCI
Element at Krotz Springs, owning nc
one e-hundredth of the territory il
volved. The policy of the district an
its accommodations to Washington TO
government action, could therefore b
easily controlled by the promoter
through the voters at Krotz Spring!
and the fact that the police jury ha
created the district would indicate t