The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-02-21
RILEY !. WILSON,
Proposes Flood Protection for Atehata.
ava, Red and Black Rivers And
Their Tributaries,

riley y. wilson OF the 9Th Lou
lsiana District. is passed, the pro
lection from floods of the fertil,
lands comprising the basins O
the Atchafalaya, Red and Blacl
! rivers and their tributaries, will
be undertaken and prosecuted
by the Federal Government I'm,
der the Flood Control Act Of
1917, as is now being done
along the Mississippi river.
The Bill provides: THAT for
the controlling the floods of the
Atchafalaya, Red and Black
rivers in Louisiana and the pro-
lection of their basins from the
flood waters of the Mississippi
river, either by the enforcement
of the Atchafalaya river from
the Mississippl river, or by other
means, the Secretary of War is
hereby empowered, authorized
and directed to carry on con-
tinuously, by hired labor or
otherwise. the plans of the Missis-
sippi River Commission, hereto
fore or hereafter adopted, to be
paid for as appropriations may
from time to time be made by
law, not to exceed in the aggre-
gate $4,000, 600; provided that
not more than 81. 600, 600 shall
be expended therefor during
any one fiscal year,
This would give the Mississippi
River Commission complete
jurisdiction and commit the
Federal Government to the solu-
ton of the problem. The bill
has been referred to the Com
mittee on Flood Control, of which
Mr.. Wilson is a member. The
lower Mississippi Valley is rep
resented on this Committee by
Wilson, of Louisiana, and Ben. |
G. Humphreys. of Mississippi.
In relation to the bill, Mr.. |
Wilson said;
Since the Flood Control Act
Of 1917 takes ample care of the
Mississippi river proper, the
purpose Of this bill is TO put the |
Federal Government, through I
the Mississippi River Commits /
non. actively behind the next 4
most important food problem in 4
louisiana and perhaps in the
lation, that is, to provide ample
protection for the basins Of the Il
Atchafalaya, Red and Black
'iyers and their tributaries.
1t was recalled that the Flood
CONTROL Bet provided for q sur
'ey and report to Congress for
his purpose and that report
Vhich was made recently in the
basis for this proposed
The clause in the
let of 1917. providing for the 5
urvey and report. was placed
here through the efforts of Con-
ressman Martin. who was then /
member of the Committee, and &
lyself.
Extensive public hearings :
i'll be had before the Commit .
.e on Flood Control and this =
hole problem will be thor /!
lghly Investigated from Il
1ery phase and standpoint. It
my purpose to have at these i
earrings men from Louisiana
no have the most direct infor-
alton relating to this entire
'oject. both from the stand
int of engineering and from I
'actical experience in dealing i 4
it'll and observing food waters | /:
that section. The entire allu- H II
al section Of the state is di-
city interested. and the major
of the Levee Boards are i'm
ediately affected. We are go II
g to need all the help we can III
t from both state and local
ministrations. whose coopera-
ms we confidently expect. III
" The point is TO get the full mer i
of this problem before Con-
ess and to show that the peo-
in that direction are making / Il
roic efforts to hold it against q Ill
zee with which they are I'M
lie to cope. Their problems -
been made more difficult s
iunrnvnrnnnfu IN nfhop uoo @n-