The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-02-25
Editorial Comment
The House Flood Bill
(St. Louis Globe-Democrat)


The bill which has just been presented to the
House OF Representatives by the Flood Control
Committee of that body is the outcome of many
weeks OF public hearings, investigation and
study by the committee on the problem of flood
control in the Mississippi Valley. AS commit
tee measure it will, of course, take first place
in the deliberations of the House on this i'm
portant question.
1t pleases us to note that this bill gives formal
recognition to the two principles for which the
Globe-Democrat has been contending ever since
the great flood of 1927 brought the question be-
fore the people with urgent demand for an an
swer. The first of these is the principle of ex-
elusive responsibility in the Federal Govern
ment, which involves the assumption of all
costs; the other is the principle of the control
and direction of the work to be done by a
specially appointed body of engineering and
other experts. This paper has felt from the be-
ginning that the task is national one, in every
sense OF the word that it can only be adequately
accomplished by the Federal Government, act
ing with exclusive authority and accepting ex-
elusive obligation for its accomplishment. It
has felt also that it should be planned and dli-
rected by special commission which would
emD0dy IN representative way the best con-
structive talent in the country. But beyond
that 1t has insisted that the undertaking should
be comprehensive, should cover the tributaries
OF tn, Mississippi as we'll as the main stream.
and should encompass all measures of protection
that expert study should find to be desirable
and practicable.
All of these ideas have been given expression
in the committee bill now before the House. It
provides for the appointment by the President
OF special commission, to be known as the
Mississippi Valley Flood Control Commission,
four OF the seven members of which would be
civilian engineers, and this commission would
have entire control of the work, subject only
to the President and Congress. It would be
given the latitude necessary for task Of such
magnitude, and would be expected to make the
surveys and studies required for effective plan
ming. And the government, armed with full
power, would assume all costs of construction
and rights of way. The bill, it seems to us, is
based upon the right general principles, judging
from the summaries in the reports from Wash
ington. We can, of course, form no opinion as
to its details until we have had an Opportun-
ity to examine the text.
But it will encounter formidable opposition.
The vote in the committee on the bill was IL to
6, and the minority, it is indicated, will unite
to advocate bill more in line with the wishes
Of the President, who has approved the plan
presented by the army engineers, which the
House Committee has rejected, and who is
strongly opposed to the payment of all costs by
the Federal Government. 1t is much to be hoped,
however, that the principles expressed in this
bill will prevail. If the work is to be done at all
and no one questions that-it should be well
done; and it cannot be well done unless the gov
eminent takes it in hand in it's entirety and as
sumes full responsibility for thoroughly
planned and executed project.