The Washington times., 1937-04-26
COOPERATION
CALLED FLOOD
|. CONTROL NEED
Rivers and Harbors
Congress Hears Plea
By Sec. Woodring
international News Service


international News Service
Federal cooperation with the
States is essential" if the scourge
of disastrous floods such as dew
astated the Ohio and upper Mis-
sissippi valleys this winter is to
be curbed.
This was the assertion today OF
Secretary Of War Harry H. Wood
ring to delegates attending the
32nd annual conference Of the
National Rivers and HarborS Con
gress at the Mayflower Hotel
He said:
"The importance of our naVi-
gable waterways for interstate
commerce and the provision Of
measures to prevent and pro-
tect against floods in interstate
streams are undoubtedly OF
Federal significance and can be
carried out only with the active
participation Of the Federal
Government"
PLEASED AT COMPACT
Woodring, expressing his graft
fication at the prompt action
of Connecticut, Vermont, New
Hampshire and Massachusetts, in
agreeing on an interstate com
pact for flood control in the
Connecticut river valley, declared
"This compact, If adopted by
the States and approved by Con-
greSs, will point the way to q
closer cooperation between the
States and Federal Government
in the execution of measures for
the conservation and utilization
Of our national water resources.
"These States desire to retain
. measure Of State control in
reservoirs provided within their
jurisdiction, as do the States OF
Pennsylvania and New York,
who have already enacted legiS-
latiOn to provide for full cOOpera-
ton with the Federal Govern
ment.
COOPERATION NEED
"The cooperation Of the
States, rather than their agen-
cies and subdivisions thereof, Is
essential to the successful execu-
ton of q national flood control
program.
''This cooperation should in
clude q measure Of financial
/. support covering at least the
cost Of direct payments for
lands, easements and rights Of
way.
Normally, all these can be
secured by the State under State
law at substantially less cost
than they can be acquired by the
Federal Government.
"The continuing flood control
policy should be one Of joint re-
spOnsibiIity and costs by the
States and the Federal Govern
ment."
u D. 1nONNkAM
Woodring said the Federal Gov
eminent has definitely embarked
on a national flood control pro
gram which, carried out over
period of years to accord with the
Governments financial and con
struction policy, will eventually re
suit in elimination of the major
damages now sustained through
out the United States from floods
and the destruction and diScom
fort suffered in periods Of flood
by the inhabitants Of the flooded
areas"
He advocated multi-purpose res
ervoirs as q major flood contro
aid. Woodring pointed out thai
surveys of the proposed flood con
troll areas arc progressing rapidly
under the Army Engineering Corps
despite the fact that mo funds
have oeen provided as yet to carry
out the provisions Of the flooc
control act of 1886"
Tributary Control
Floods on little waters" in the
United States cause a greater tota
Of damage each year than do the
more spectacular floods Of the
Ohio, Mississippi and other large
streams, H. H. Bennett, chief o.
the soil conservation service, tolc
the Congress.