OCR Text |
Show H THE PROBLEM OF H FLOOD CONTROL H Tho extent to which floods sap the fl ' ' resources of tho country Is rcnllzcd by the general public only during tho H HprliiR period when tho rivers nro H rampaging, it Is like tho man who H wouldn't' mend his roof In rainy wca- H titer, ns ho would then get wet and H H lio wouldn't mend It In pleasant woa- H .1 thcr, as ho didn't need to then. H Tho floods of 1913 did $300,000,000 H f damage to Ohio and Indiana alono. i Annually tho Mississippi nnd other rivers aro turned Into raging tor- rents, converting fertile farms Into H '' sand hanks, nnd making prosperous H cities fight for existence. H Little progress toward n solution scorns to bo madu. Competent oh- H servers say tho cost of protecting tho Mississippi valley would he far great- B or than tho River's Commission est!- H mato of $1G7,800,000. Some cugl- H nccrs favor lovces, others bcllovo In H reservoirs. In all this conflict of H opinion llttlo Is done. H The obstacles to tho reservoir sys- H J tern are suggested In tho report of H one authority recently noticed. He H J said It would cost $73,000,000 to build H I baBlns to hold the water that passes H j down the flooded Mississippi In ono H day. That makes no provision for H 18 other days of tho usual flood lo- M , , Tho building of loveos reclaims H i j valuablo soils, and adds to tho wealth H of tho country, Uut the public wants H ) to feel sure, In so far n8 tho govern- H inent and states spend money for this H , purpose that thoy and not prlvato H speculators shall get tho returns ot f tho Improvement. H Fcoplo living along most river H hanks y floods havo Increased In H recent years, duo commonly to for- est cutting about sources. Probably tho flood question will novor bo solved until thero Is ox- H tenslvo trco planting and forest growth about tho upper reaches of H the great |