The Donaldsonville chief., 1922-04-29
SHOULD SEE RIVER NOW.

SHOULD SEE RIVER NOW.
At a large mass meeting Of repre-
sentative men from parishes In the
Atchafalaya and Lafourche leVee
districts, held at Plaquemine last
Monday, resolutions were adopted m
viting the food control committee OF
congress and the secretary of war to
visit Louisiana now, while the river
is at flood stage. This is splendid
move which should be followed by
every levee board and the citizens OF
every parish in the state subject to
overflow from the Mississippi river,
and every effort should be made to
induce the congressional committee
and the war secretary to come to
this state at the present time in order
that they might see for themselves
how great is the food menace to the
people Of the states of Louisiana,
Mississippi and Arkansas.
The river at all points in Louisi-
ana is higher than it has ever been in
it's history, and it is still rising. Near
ly all of this water comes from states
to the north, east and west, and in
volve the drainage of nearly one
third of the territory of the United
States, and all Of this enormous
volume of water must pass through
Louisiana on its way to the Gulf OF
Mexico. In years of comparatively
low water, such as prevailed during
the past few seasons, the subject
present no Very serious problem, and
can be eagfIy handled by the state
and levee authorities, but in times Of
unprecedenb~d high water suchsas the.
present, the emergency which arises
is of such magnitude as to be almost
beyond the reach of local authorities,
and becomes subject worthy of
most earnest attention by the feder-
al government.
1t would be we'll for the congress
sional committee to visit Louisiana
at this time and observe how sorely
pressed the state is by the high water
J in the river, and it would be even
better if the entire membership of
both houses of congress could come
and view the situation. They would
! then be able to judge for themselves,
and without any further evidence, and
to form definite conclusions regard
ing the very urgent needs of this and
| other states in the line of flood pro-
| lection.
The Mississippi river can no longer
be considered state or local propo-
sition, to be kept within it's banks by
state and local authorities. It has
become a problem of very great
proportions, which involve serious en-
gneering problems and call for the
expenditure Of enormous sums of
money.
The federal government spends
many millions of dollars every year,
in improvements of various kinds in
different parts of the country, many
Of which are of local Importance only,
and there is no reason why it should
not take over the control of this
great river, and spend some of those
millions in the construction of works
which will afford protection to the
lives and property of the vast multi
tude Of people who live in it's valley.
Great floods such as the present
clearly indicate the inadequacy of
the levee system and the necessity
for more outlets. Very large outlets
should be constructed at points above
to supplement the Atchafalaya river
in relieving the pressure below. For
this purpose thousands of acres of
land would have to be purchased,
which together with the work of con-
struction would cost many millions,
but it would be money we'll spent in
the end since it would afford per-
manent protection from flood water
to large proportion of the popula-
ton of the country.
1t is therefore very much to be
hoped that the federal law makers
will come to Louisiana during the
present high. stage Of the water, and
be sufficiently impressed with the
seriousness of the situation to impel
them, upon their return to Washing
ton, to do everything in their power
to prevail upon congress to take over
the levees of the Mississippi and de-
wise ways and means and make ade-
quate financial provisions for the pro-
lection of the people of the valley
from the enormous damage which
invariably follow in the wake of a
crevasse.