The Donaldsonville chief., 1922-11-11
RIVER 4 NATIONAL PROBLEM.
Federal Government Should Bear
Burden of Flood Control.

the Atcna1a 1alaya LeVee bOdfu, IS I!
strong advocate of government con-
troll Of the Mississippi river. In the
| following communication he sets
| forth his views on the subject very
strongly and points out clearly what
will happen in Congress should 1t
pass the Humphreys-W Wilson bill now
pending before it. The letter is an
| eye-opener to those who are ont IA
| miiar with the facts and is well
worth reading:
Il am asking for space in the coun-
| ty press to place before the taxpay-
ers of Louisiana some facts on a
subject Of more vital Importance to
thc state than any that could pos
sibly be advanced. 1t is the ques-
ton of the control Of the flood
waters of the Mississippi river
| There are certain members OF con-
gress from this state, who are strong
| ly advocating and urging plan,
which has been reduced to the form
of bill for presentation to the Con-
gress of the U. S., which in. substance
is for the various levee districts in
the valley to borrow from the
United States Government, the
money they need and tissue forty
year bonds bearing 4 IL or S IL
per cent, then turn the money over
to the y. S. Government to be spent
by it, through the Mississippi River
commission body composed entirely
Of army officers with the exception
of one member, and having their
Headquarters at St. Louis. Every
expense of this body of commission
ers Of whatever nature, Including
their salaries, to be paid by the levee
boards and they spend our money
when, and where, and how they
please without consultation or advice
from u.s. The only right reserved
to the state is the right to pay the
bills. Should such bill become a
law, or be presented to Congress with
the endorsement ef the states border
ing on the Mississippi river and sub
ject to overflow, we will by that act
surrender all right to ask the General
Governmnnt to assist in the control
of the flood waters Of the Mississippi
By that act we would acknowledge
it to be state obligation, notwith-
standing the fact that the three lead
ing national parties have declared
that the control of the Mississippi
River was national problem and
obligation. The United States Gov
ernment is now contributing. for
levee building two dollars to our one.
"Should the bal referred to become
a law we of course lose this asss-
tance. The proposed bill starts out
by asking for an appropriation of
$75, 5,0OO,OO0, but | believe any one
familiar with the situation will agree
with me, that in short time, if the
work is done, the loans will run into
hundreds of millions, and most of
the burden falls on Louisiana.
Il am victim of the flood waters
Of the Mississippi River, have fought
them for many years in the interior,
and for about ten years | have been
a member Of the Atchafalaya Levee
Board, and have taken an active in
terest in the work, SO that my ex-
perience has been much greater than
the ordinary citizen for Studying the
subject, and it is my deliberate
judgement that from time to time
the flood level of the river will rise
and it will not reach the maximum
height until the development in the
country draining into the river
reaches its maximum point of devel-
opment this is practically a self evil
dent proposition and it is equally as
clear that the grade and cross Sec
ton of the levees will have to be en-
larged, and each successive time, IL
practically involves reconstruction
or the entire system, and done by
the states, as advocated by some Lou
lslana members of Congress, means
bankruptcy for the state, and yet this
is what will be done if the taxpay crs
of Louisiana do not awaken 20 their
interest and defeat this impending
peril.
"The Mississippi River Flood Con-
troll Association made, up of most Of
the Levee Boards in the valley have
by a unanimous vote declared for
governmental control Of tne Missis-
sippi at the nations expense, all le-
wee interests as far as | can learn
endorse the same position and all
commercial organizations so far
heard from and the taxpayers, al
most to a man, are in favor Of fbe
government assuming the
entire cost of the control of the river,
yet certain members of Congress and
politicians. are still actively engaged
IN an effort to fasten the great bur
den Of tan upon the people of Lou
lsiana and the New Orleans press
refuses to publish any facts or views
that seem to oppose the position
taken by the members Of Congress
and politicians referred to, so that |
we must depend upon the patriotism |
and loyalty of the country press to |
stand by the people on this question |
of paramount importance to the |
state
"There is no reason in fairness and |
Justice, why Louisiana should pay
one dollar of the expense of contro.l-
nG the Mississippi River | challenge
Mr. Wilson and those who aremwith
llm to show me any other river ~
ne United States, where the u. S.
Government calls upon the local pro-
Die to bear part of the expense of
he Improvement and control Of the
'lVtr. The government spen, 1-2
billion dollars in constructing the
'anama Canal, tens of millions of
tollars in constructing a railroad in
slaska and hundreds of millions If
|ollars in the Improvement of rivers
nd harbors in the United States
Without asking the local peopla to
dollar, many millions
$50 have been spent in the reclama-
ion of arid lands in the west and |
iany more millions in relieving the