The Bismarck tribune., 1922-05-17
NEW ORLEANS ASSOCIATION OF COMMERCE.
JOINS WITH NORTH DAKOTA IN ASKINC|
CONGRESS TO CONTROL THE FLOOD MENACEi

North Dakota will have the support
of some organizations along the
Southern reaches of the Mississippi
river, at least, in it's contention that
the place to begin the control of the
flood waters is in the upper reaches
of the beginning streams. In a letter
filed with the Congressional CSmmit-
tee on Commerce and published in the
Congressional Record of May 11th
the New Orleans Association of Com
mcrcc points out, that the, control OF
the flow Of waters Of navigable
streams is Federal duty. 1t is this
point which the North Dakota Irri-
cation Congress, meeting here June
7th and Sth will stress in pressing it's
claims for the saving of the waters
of the Upper Missouri and its trlbu-
tsties for agricultural purposes. II,
The letter of the New Orleans AS
sociation is addressed to the Missis-
sippi River Commission, the body hav-
ing charge of the flood control in the
Mississippi from Cairo, Illinois to the
Gulf. .... J.. 50.
New Orleans Message
The message of the New Orleans
Association of Commerce, presenting
the letter follows: ...4
"The people of the Mississippi Val
ley need comprehensive policy,
which will in fact and all the time
protect them from the flcod menace,
and they have launched a campaign
through the organized trade bodies,
chambers of commerce, and the public
generally throughout the valley to
develop and make effective new Vi
sion, a new enterprise, and great
vigor, which will not be denied for
the elimination of the flood menace"
After recounting the history of the
Mississippi River Commission in
placing levees the communication of
the New Orleans Association says:
"In 1912 the Pittsburgh FlCod Com
mission, supported solely by the citi-
zens of Pittsburgh, made it's report
showing that by building a few dams
in the streams feeding the Mononga-
hela and Allegheny Rivers which
form the Ohio at Pittsburgh, the flood
level at Pittsburghcan be greatly re-
duced and the floods there brought
under control. 1t is reasonable for
us 10 assume that other works on
other tributaries of the Ohio can be
made to so far control the flood peak
in the Ohio as to greatly reduce the
volume of. water passing into the Mis-
sissippi at any one time during great
flood flow. r.,
Flood Waters Can Be Diverted
"We are assured by men who have
made study of Missouri River con-
ditions that great deal Of the sur
plus flood waters which now reach
the Missouri from it's source streams
can be diverted and soaked into dry
lands far removed from the Missis-
sippi. In this way untillable lands
may be made available for agricult-
ure and the flood flow of the Mis-
souri, be brought under some sort
Of control, to the end that in times Of
flood flow there will be q
speak load to join the peak
load of the Ohio at Cairo.
"While these matters are of the
gravest concern to the people Of al
the Valley as we'll as to ourselves. W.
understand that the Mississippi River
Commission can not concern itself
with them because the Mississippi!
River Commissions jurisdiction is
limited to the Mississippi river pro-
per from Rock Island to the Head
Of the Passes.