Evening star., 1927-11-28
The Flood Control Program.

Three items constitute the major
business before Congress at the ses'
sion which is to start next Monday.
tax reduction, farm relief and food
control. 1t IS expected that action
will be had on all three. Tax reduc.
ton is in fact assured. The only 49,
sue Is as to the extent to which the
burden will be reduced and the de-
tails. Farm relief is less certain, be-
cause Of the wide range OF proposals
and the insistence upon SPECIFIC fea'
lures by one and another group OF
advocates. Flood control Is matter
of technique and cost. That 1t Will
command the earnest disposition or
Congress to effect some program or
works that will lessen the danger to
n wide area OF the country from ex-
cessiye rainfall and inundated lands
a certain. Just what form this
project will take is a question.
A board of Army engineers is now
preparing a report which will constr
tute the basis, of consideration and
action. Meanwhile. the House flood
control committee is in session, CIV
ing hearings to representatives of the
States In which floods have lately oc-
Cured. Their proposition will be
taken under advisement in the light
of the recommendations of the Official
engineers. There are widely variant
suggestions. They range from the es'
tablishment Of giant reservoirs TO
hold the surplus waters of the upper
region to the paving of the river
banks in the stretch Of the greatest
food volume and consequently the
most serious erosion. They include
a program Of dredging on vast scale,
with the deposit Of the detrituS taken
from the river beds upon the low
lands alongside; the cutting of shorter
channels for the tributary streams to
allow a freer flow Of the swollen cur
rents in time of freshet; the straight
ening of the Mississippi itself. which
has been diverted and bent and
choked out of its normal courses.
So much of this question is tech
nical that it is necessary to await the
report and recommendations Of the
engineers before a proper perspective
can be had upon it. There are wide
Emergencies Of view regarding it. The
problem is certain to cost enormously
in its solution. Appropriations mount
ing into the hundreds Of millions
must be made, in the course OF
period Of years. as the work Is carried
out Systematically, in accordance
with a definite plan. The economic
aspect Of the case, however, is not at
this stage so important as the ma
terial one, involving the question OF
what is best to be done to render the
area of possible flood safer, If not
wholly safe, from inundation.
The interests Of the flood-menaced
section Of the country are not alone
involved in this matter. Last sum-
mer's flood affected the entire coun-
try, through the destruction OF prop
erty there and the consequent efect
upon the national economic balance
In these preliminary representations
now being made to the House commit
tee the specific concerns Of the States
are being set forth. 1t is for Congress
70 bring together all these detailed
and detached viewpoints and. In the
light Of the expert advice Of those
who have been charged with the duty
OF prescribing the course to be fol-
lowed, to legislate to the end that
Americas greatest menace from the
forces Of Nature will be allayed, II
not permanently averted.