Evening star., 1937-04-26
RESERVOIRS HELD
NEEDED TO CURB
OH|0AREAFL00DS
System Would Protect Low
er Mississippi Valley,
Markham Says.
RIVERS-HARBORS UNIT
WILL ELECT DRIVER
Arkansas Representative Due to
Head Group-Woodrin Tells
of Prevention Work.

Maj. Gen. Edward M Markham,
chief OF Army Engineers, today told
the Rivers and Harbors Congress in
session at the Mayf1ower Hotel that
January's disastrous floods in the Ohio
Valley indicated the necessity for a
system Of reservoirs in that area.
Estimating the recent flood damage
In the Ohio River Basin at approxi-
mately s400,0OO,0Oo, Markham said
the reservoir system was needed to
insure an adequate factor of safety
for the completed flood-control work
in the Lower Mississippi River Valley
as we'll as to protect the Ohio region.
Floods of such magnitude Gas that
OF the Ohio in 1880 must be con-
sidered as national in scope" Mark
ham said. The provision of remedial
measures to control floods or to pro-
tect the more important centers of
population from these ravages is a
major problem which cannot be ac-
complished without the expenditure
Of vast sums"
"PiecemeaP Moves Hit.
Piecemeal protection, he said. would
be far more costly in the long run
than the execution of comprehensive
Federal plan.
The Congress heard today that Rep
resentatlve William j. Driver of
Arkansas will be elevated to the presi-
dency of the Congress by the Board
of Directors tomorrow
Frank r. Reid, former Representa-
tive from Illinois, made the announce
ment. He said since it was the policy
of the group to have a member of
Congress as its president, the directors
will name Driver to succeed him.
Speaker of the House William B.
Bankhead, in a brief extemporaneous
speech to the Congress, said that in his
opinion there was no chance Of any
large appropriation to carry out the
authorizations Of the flood control act
Woodring Is Heard.
Secretary Of War Woodring earlier
told the congress that the Government
had definitely embarked" on a ma
tional flood-control program which
eventually would result in "elimina-
ton Of major damages" from floods
throughout the United States.
He praised the cooperative atti-
tude Of local and State interests. As
surances have been received from local
interests Of their cooperation in ap-
proximately two-thirds of the projects
authorized in the food-control act, he
said. He praised particularly the
prompt action of Connecticut, Ver-
| mont, New Hampshire and Massachu-
sets, which set up an interstate COM
pact
While no money has been provided
to carry out the provisions of the flood
control act of 1896, he explained. suf-
f1cient funds were made available from
the relief appropriation to permit the
undertaking of field investigations re-
quired prior to the preparation of plans
and specifications.
Woodring said the War Department
proposes to design and construct dams
Of sufficient size and cross-section to
permit their future enlargement, not
only for the development of hydro
electric power, but also for such other
conservation storage as may be valu-
able to augment water supply for local
towns and cities, to increase low water
run-off, and to aid in the abatement
Of polluted conditions"
Army engineers, having investigated
all major streams and gathered eX-
tensive data, the secretary said, ARE
ready to proceed with construction as
rapidly as funds are made available
and as the required conditions Of local
cooperation are fulfilled"
H. H. Bennett, chief Of the Soil
Conservation Service, said the Agri-
culture Department was getting ready
to survey more than 200 watersheds
to recommend upstream flood control
projects to Congress. Coordination
downstream flood defenses. he said,
constituted the best attack the United
States has made on the flood problem.
Secretary of Commerce Roper told
the congress the National Resources
Committee, of which he is member,
"is carefully seeking to discourage CEN
tralization Of planning activity into
regional groupings"
A message from President Roosevelt
was to be read at luncheon today, and
Secretary Roper was to speak on
Economy of Useful Expenditures.
The congress is scheduled to close to-
morrow afternoon.