Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-10-27
ROBERT SECREST SPEAKS ON
FLOOD CONTROL ASSESSMENTS

Speaking before a large crowd at
the Colonial theatre in Cambridge,
Monday, Congressman Robert T. Sc
crest announced that he had the
pledged support of the chairman
and two-thirds of the members Of
the house flood control committee
for the bill he will introduce to re-
lieve the taxpayers of the Mus
kingum valley Of the remaining 80
percent of the flood assessment
taxes. Discussing the history of the
Muskingum flood control program,
Secrest stated that it was a public
works project and never came beofre
congress for approval, and that the
tax was not levied by the federal
government. The project was spon-
sored by an agency of government
just the same as any public school,
municipal building, or other public
project, where public works funds
are used. Secrest stated that it was
his purpose to clear up certain mis-
understandings among taxed prop
erty owners as to what congress had
done. Quoting directly from the
flood control act of 1888, he read
his amendment to the act author
izing and directing" the L. S. army
engineers to reimburse the Mus
kingum conservancy district $4,-
100000. ''This amount" Secrest
said 'will reduce the taxes assessed
about 70 percent. / have conferred
with the army engineers and the
budget bureau. Both are taking all
necessary steps to carry out the
terms of the amendment as rapidly
as possible.
''As Ohio's only member of the |
flood control committee and one of |
the senior members, / was called
upon to help draft the new national I
flood control policy for the nation.
In this legislation the Muskingum
project was accorded benefits re-
ceived by no other similar project |
in the country. While the project |
never had the approval of congress,
the congress has now authorized |
and directed the federal government
to assume the most of the tax bur
den"
Commenting on the tax duplicate, !
Secrest declared that the duplicates |
were made up and approved by the
state tax commission in May and |
were effective for collection in June.
The flood assessments under the
law had to appear on the duplicate.
The bill making the refund to the
conservancy district
did not pass until the middle of
June and did not become law until
June 2Sth, more than a week after
adjourned. 'If l had
brought the money back in my hat"
Secrest continued, "the tax would |
still have been on the books"
81 have here with me kilograms
from more than two-thirds of my |
on the flood control COM
mittee,, both Democrats and Repub-
leans, pledging their 100 percent
support of a bill I will introduce in !
January directing the federal gov
ernment to pay the remaining 80
percent of the tax. I have cooper
ated with these men during the last
four years and l brought twelve
members of the committee to this
district to study the problem and |
they stand ready to help me and the
people of my district.
have worked for four years on
this problem and am the only man
from Ohio on the flood control com
mittee of congress. This is the only /
that can take the balance
of the tax off the people and l feel
the people will stick with |
me since ! am the only man in po-
sition to finish the job |