Evening star., 1927-11-16
Action rs Commended.

Several members 0f the House com
mittee expressed qualification that the
Red River body had appeared. Chair
man Reid of Illinois ana Representa-
tive Wilson of Louisiana. ranking mi
noTity member. declared the Eroul
was wise in not accepting the cham
bcr's advice. .
The region desires the raising o
the levees. more bank protection t,
prevent cav.ng Of the levccs and out
lets as its tlood-control plan. Mr.. FL
lerbe said. He declared that TIL,
lcvees had been stressed in the pas
for flood control because it had beer
the Army engineers plan.
Louisiana gets the water of The
entire river" he declared in arguing
for the Federal control of the Rec
River.
Committee members on their ques
tioning of witnesses today indicated
that adequate control of the tribu
taries would he one Of the leadins
problems in the formulation of The na
tional flood plan. and in their qucrie:
apparently sought to ascertain tn,
effects of the tributaries flow on th'
Mississippi River.
L. S. Held Obligated.
The view that under the Constitu
ton the Federal Government is obi
gated to control Mississippi River
floods was emphasized yesterday
before the committee by Jacob n
Dickinson OF Chicago. former Secre
tary of War and a former president
of the American Bar Association.
With Alfred H. Stone, a cottor
PLANTER of Dunleith, Miss, and Rober
r. Ellis OF Memphis, Mr.. Dickinson
presented the food program of the
Chamber of Commerce OF the United
States.
Besides the chambers delegation
the committee also heard views of
re.idonts from the Red River VALLEY
in Texas. oklahoma. Louisiana ano
Arkansas on methods of controlling
the high waters Of that tributary o
the Mississippi.
The chambers recommendation foI
food control. Mr.. Dickinson declared
were that the Federal Government
should pay the entire cost and as
sumo responsibility for the protection
of the valley against future inunda
tons, and that an adequate ap
propria ton to insure efficient am
available as needed" He also urget
that the food legislation Should bt
kept separate from any other under
taking
Held Vital Need.
"GnicSs the National Government
assumes responsibility" he SAID ''rht
States and localities no longer car
bear the burden, and the fertile val
leys will become an uninhabiteo
waste"
The Nations duty toward controllin:
Mississippi Valley fcods because o
that rivers Importance in commerce
was stressed Ly Mr. Stone, who as
sailed the Federal Government fo
delay and lack Of continuity in ii
past control program"
Mr. Ellis. vice president of th,
chamber, after describing the organ
ization's referendum On the flood
urged that congress adopt the pro
gram Of President Coolidge Severa
committee members. however, crit
CiZcd this declaration, asserting Con
, @ie%S fcrmulates its own lcSislat ton.
Mr.. Ellis al:o presented Il state
ment from Frederic a. Delano chair
man Of the flood-cOntrol committee o
the chamber. who outlined an eXhaus
tive study Of the flood situation tho
committee had made, and declared th'
committee secs flood control on tht
lower Mississippi as solely a Fedora
problem" and ''0ne for %he rationa
Government TO france in its entirety.
Lack OF centralized control has. il
the past, led only to waste. Mr.. De
lanO'S statement said.