The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-10-07
$18,000,O00 State Flood Control Proposal
Is Sidetracked by Public Works Chiefs
Pigeon Hole Action to Bring
Attack From Indiana
CongreSSWoman.
tOther Details on Page p
BY WALKER STONE
Times Special Writer

the Wabash and White rivers
rests uncertainty in a pigeon
hole in the offices of the fed
eral emergency administra-
ton of public works.
But it is not likely that spider
will weave cobweb over that
pigeon-hoIe, for Mrs. Virginia E.
Jenckes, Democratic congresswoman
from the Sixth Indiana district, is
not allowing the public works adj
ministration to forget foi minute
that the. $18,0O0,000 application is
on file.
At times the PWA experts have
acted as though they would like to
forget the Wabash White flood con-
troll project, and give all their at
tention to other applications for
funds-proiects of a type that are
prima facie within the province OF
the federal government.
Engineers Are Divided
There is no dispute as to the eco
nomic ,soundness of spending $18,+
100000 to control the flood waters
of the two Indiana streams. The
point at issue is, who shall pay the
bill?" 1t is a question of policy.
The P. w. A. engineers are divided.
On group takes the position that,
since the territory to be benet1ted
lies wholly within Indiana and
section Of southeastern Illinois, the
cost should be assessed against the
residents of the Wabash and White
basins. Another group, won over
by the insistence Of Mrs. Jenckes
that the residents of the flood
stricken area are too poor to pay
the bill, contend that the federal
government must step in and save
the lives and property of the peo-
pie who live along the two rivers.
Until that question of policy is
determined, there can be no de-
cision on the application. If the
$18,OOO,O0O allotment is made, the
P. w. A. officials realize that imme-
diately thereafter they will receive
scores of demands for similar flood
control ALLEGATIONS, coming from all
sections of the country.
Fight for Project
To try to force a showdown on
the project, Mrs. Jenckes, who has
been making speeches for several
DAYS in Indiana, will return to
Washington next week to confer
with Interior Secretary Harold L.
Ickes and Colonel H. M. Waite, adj
ministrator and deputy administra-
tor of public works.
Since early in July, Mrs. Jenckes
has been showering the P. w. A.
with letters and briefs on the neces-
sity of the federal government I'M
dertaking the flood control i'm
provements. She engineered hear
ing Sept. before P. w. A. sub
committee, where she marshaled to
the support of the project other
members of the Indiana delegation
and representatives of practically
all of the influential groups in In
diana.
The only dissenting voice at this
hearing was that of General Lyle
Brown, chief of army engineers, who
said, among other things, that $18,-
900 900 worth of levee construction
would leave many unprotected gaps
along the banks of the two streams.
Cooperation Lacking, Claim
Another objection of General
Browns was that farmers and
others who own property adjacent
to the rivers could not be depended
upon to cooperate with the gov
eminent. Mrs. Jenckes met this
objection by asking for and receiv-
ing hundreds of kilograms from
property owners and local levee
boards promising to donate to the
government land for the levee right
of-way and borrow pits to supply
earth for the entertainments.
From Mrs. Jenckes office today
the following statement was made:
It am sure that the advisory
board of the federal emergency adj
ministration of public works will
act favorably upon the petition Of
the people living in the $4,000 square
miles which comprise the drainage
area of the Wabash and White riv-
erS.
Congress intended for the people
to have protection against the dew
astating annual and Semi-annual
floods which have destroyed mini
mum of 100000 worth of prop
erty year for many years, and in
addition have taken toll of life.
The citizens of this great and i'm
portant area of our nation have Of
fered to give the government, free
of charge, rights of way and Dor
row pit materials and to cooper
ate in every possible manner.
It have advised President Roose-
welt and Secretary Ickes that the
federal government can make no
greater contribution toward indus
trial recovery of the $4,000 square
miles located in one of the most
important parts of the United
States, than to authorize immedi-
ately an adequate and comprehen-
sive Wabash and White rivers flood
control. We are entitled to it. We
have submitted all of the necessary
evidence to show the necessity and
requirement. We have proved that
it is an emergency measure, having
a direct influence on the industrial
recoYerY of the states Of Indiana.