Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-07-20
LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN
ROBERT SECREST


The following letter from Con-
gresham Secrest, under date of
July 13, received by the editor OF
( this paper, will be read with much
interest, by those who have food
assessments:
Dear Ray:
This morning, a subcommittee of
the commerce committee, of which
Senator Donahey is member, held
a hearing on my bill designed to
wholly relieve the taxpayers from
flood assessments in connection with
the Muskingum project, by having
the federal government take over
the whole project.
Senator Taft and myself appear
ed before the committee.
The army engineers will have full
responsibility for carrying out the
provisions of the bill / have let
ters from the chief of the army en-
gineers stating that the bill will ac-
complish seven things:
Take over maintenance and oper-
alton of the fourteen dam projects.
Pay the cost of all land acquired
in the past or in the future togeth-
0i viii lhe CooIo VI acquiring all
lands.
Reimburse the district for $780,
900 worth of land given utilities by
reason of relocation of their rights
of-way
Complete the relocation of roads
in the district, which will require
something over $4,0O0,000.
Allow the district to use the ST.
100000 given by the state of Ohio
for the payment of damages, inter-
est and any other items which may
not be deemed reasonable by the
secretary of war. This would create
a back log, making possible a 1OO%
liquidation of the district.
Advance the district $1,500,000l
already appropriated by this con-
gress on assurance by the district
that they will proceed Immediately
to convey an equal amount of as
sets as quickly as possible.
Permitting the district to give |
guarantees of title for lands that
are to be transferred, making it |
necessary to spend large sums of
money for complete abstracts.
The first five items above were
provided for, in the bill as it passed |
the house. Item six was prepared |
by the army engineers and adopted |
by the subcommittee this morning
Item seven was prepared and ap-t
proved by the department Of justice
and adopted by the subcommittee
this morning
The full committee will meet |
and there seems no doubt I
but that they will report the bill to |
the senate where we hope to get ac-
tion Thursday. If no controversial |
are added to the bill, |
we have every reason to believe that |
the house will accept the senate |
amendments, after which the bill
would go to the White House. Our
whole aim in the senate was to put
in only those amendments which |
the army engineers or some respon-
sible agency of government would |
approve in order that we could
avoid the necessity of a conference
between house and senate con-
ferees
/ am sure you are familiar with
the history of our efforts since the
time l introduced my first bill for
this purpose, H. r. 1923, introduc-
ed March 16, 1886, providing for re-
to the conservancy
district for expenditures made in
buying lands, easements, and rights
Of-way. 1t has been a long, hard
road, but the present bill is every
thing that any one might hope for
and will completely solve our prob
em. have gone through two cam
paigns since that bill was introduc-
ed and in each the problem of food
was my biggest worry
Your faith that I would eventually
De able to solve the problem gives
ne just IS much happiness as II
,hall find If the bill passes the sem
ate and the president signs tit.-l
sincerely yours, Bob Secrest.
Later: The senate commerce COM.
nittee gave it's approval Tuesday to
Mr. Secrest's measure. It has pass-i
ID the house, and now goes to the
enate.
DEATH OF MRS. MTTI,TE WISE |