Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-07-14


from bad to worse as the years pass,
and eventually the flood that runs in
mems hearts and cannot be damned
will break loose and work it's own
will with society. The best business
policy, in the long run, is to make
business contribute to the public well
fare. The best way to earn profits is
to serve mankind.
Condition Disgrace to Country.
I'm plain words, the present floods
on the Mississippi river are a dis
grace to any civilized nation. Look
ing at the same thing in another
country, we would say at once that
that country was being i'll governed.
We say exactly that every time the
Yellow river breaks loose in China.
Something is wrong there, we say;
they haven't a decent government;
| looking out for the public welfare.
Those poor people are being betrayed
by their rulers, we say; they ought
to rise and demand just and efficient
government Well, we don't do any
| rising in America, but there is no
reason why we couldn't demand just
and efficient government.
'There apparently are three chief
factors involved in the problem: re-
building the levees. impounding the
flood waters along the upper reaches
of the tributary streams, and dredg-
ing the channel of the main river
to keep the bed down and maintain
an even flow. To these may be add
ed fourth factor, reforestation
throughout the whole river basin,
but I am inclined to think this is
less important than the other three.
Which Factor. to Emphasize.
"The question is, which one Of
| these factors should be emphasized.
| and how should they all be combined
| in "a single comprehensive plan. Re-
building the levees involves the issue
of y plantation 1andlordism in the
South. Impoundfng the tributary wa
ters involves the issues of power de-
velopment and water supply in the
various regions affected. Dredging
the channel involves issue of Missis-
sippi navigation. These are only a few
of the issues dragged in by the heels
issues of great Importance, in which
powerful interests are at stake and
powerful forces are operating.
I, *"If it is decided that the first thing
to do is to impound the flood waters
in the main tributary streams, who
will use the power that is developed?
! What arrangements can be made
with the great private organizations
that now control our power situation?
Will they bear part of the cost of the
enterprise, or will they buy the power
after it is developed Should the Fed
eral government bear all the expense
and go into the power business?
s"If vast sums are required of the
Federal government to rebuild the
levees that have been broken down,
should the land owners of the large
adjacent plantations, the ones that
| have suffered from the flood, bear
part of the expense? Should the CT
ties along the river that have been
untouched by the flood, but whose
prosperity depends on that of the
flooded area, bear part of the ex-
pense? Should the states that have
been devastated bear part Of the ex-
pense?
What Agency to Govern.
COR If dredging the channel of the
main river is the important thing,
| how should the expense be shared
between the Federal government and
the states? What results from in
creased navigation might be expect
ed? What cities or regions or groups
might be the chief gamers, although
they bore no share of the cost? What
railroad interests might throw their
influence into the matter?
FINALLY, what agency shall be set
| up that is capable of balancing these
three chief factors over against each
other and arriving at the right plan
which utilizes them all in proper
proportion? How shall this agency
be constituted, and under what pow
ers shall it operate? How shall it be
protected from the interests that will
Immediately begin to bring stagger-
ing influences to bear on it from diff
| ferent directions?
II raise these questions without
any intention of answering them. 1t
is not my province to answer them.
1t is not, l believe, the province of
this congress to answer them. That
| is work for technical and scientific
commissions, after they have inves-
tigated the facts. / merely want to
show the exceedingly complicated ma
ture of the issues raised by the prob
lem of flood control.
Skeptical Of Forest Argument.
1T is fairly plain what the physi-
cal difficulty with the Mississippi
river is. When we first began to
build levees and reclaim the swamp
lands along the river we interfered
drastically with a widespread natural
condition. Many people claim that
the whole modern flood condition has