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The total number of people in those parishes is 316,509. The total value of agricultural crops produced is $31,947,120.

Senator OVERTON. Annually?

Mr. HEBERT. Yes, sir. The total number and value of livestock is $12,973,218.

The total home and farm improvements are $46,177,608.

By the way: I might say for the benefit of this committee that these figures were compiled by Mr. Wallace's man.

Senator OVERTON. The area to which you are referring is between the Atchafalaya and the Mississippi?

Mr. HEBERT. Yes, sir. There is some, Senator, that comes on the west side of the Atchafalaya River.

Senator OVERTON. You have not taken in any territory on the west. bank of the Mississippi?

Mr. HEBERT. No, sir.

Senator OVERTON. Have you taken in any area north of the Red River?

Mr. HEBERT. We have taken just what we felt was sure to be right.
Senator OVERTON. You have taken one particular section?
Mr. HEBERT. Yes.

Senator OVERTON. And have shown the value of protecting that particular section?

Mr. HEBERT. Yes. I might call attention, also, Senator, to the fact that not only have we had our properties and our livestock jeopardized, but we have also had no credit, no loans from the Federal farm bank, due to the levee conditions in that district, section 28, of 10 years ago.

I have a letter here from Mr. R. L. Thompson, president of the Federal Land Bank of New Orleans, which states that applications are received by the bank for land-bank commissioner loans. That is a very nice way to get around it. A farmer cannot farm with applications, unfortunately.

I want to read just one paragraph here. It may give us a little credit but they have given me enough hell-excuse me, Madam. Senator CARAWAY. I have heard all those words before.

Mr. HEBERT. In my enthusiasm I overstepped myself.

This is a letter from the director of extension, who is in the employ of Mr. Wallace, or at least is part of his outfit. I wrote to the county agents asking for information as to the different parishes. The suggestion was made that I get the county agents to furnish the information

Senator OVERTON (interposing). Who is that from-Secretary Wallace?

Mr. HEBERT. No, sir; this is the director of the agricultural extension department at Baton Rouge.

We have a resolution here, also, Mr. Chairman, from the police jury of my parish, and with your permission I will read it, Senator. It is not very long.

Senator OVERTON. You might put it in the record, and it will be printed in the record.

(The resolution referred to will be found at the end of the statement of the witness.)

Mr. HEBERT. I want to say, Senator, that my people have not only signed up, but they are in dire need of this legislation. But we are

opposing in no way anything else that might be recommended by the engineers. We are not putting forward any figures as to any size or any particular flowage. We will grant them whatever room they need and whatever depth they want.

Senator OVERTON. I want to get that clear. You are perfectly willing to leave the construction to the engineers?

Mr. HEBERT. Absolutely. I not only make that statement, Senator, but I mean it. I believe that statement has been made before, but I have had my doubts about its being meant. But we people do mean it, because we have signed options. That is evidence. It is easy to suggest giving somebody else's land away.

Senator OVERTON. Your people have no objection-
Mr. HEBERT (interposing). None, whatsoever; no, sir.

Senator OVERTON. Wait a moment. You do not know what I am going to say. You have no objection to a bankful at Morganza or underbankful?

We

Mr. HEBERT. Providing our drainage is entirely cared for. are not putting ourselves on record as engineers, but from the expeence we have had with flood ways and with crevasses and different things down there we expect the flow of water to be of public relief for all concerned, north of us and ourselves included.

Senator OVERTON. Let me ask that same question of Mr. Martin, because he lives down in the Atchafalaya Basin.

Is there any objection, as far as you know, Mr. Martin, to leaving it to the discretion of the engineers as to whether the Morganza waterway be a bankfull or a rock weir?

Mr. MARTIN. No objection at all, Senator.

Senator BILBO. I am curious to know how many families live on those 60,000 acres involved in that spillway.

Mr. HEBERT. Twelve thousand.

Senator OVERTON. The Senator is asking how many families live in the Morganza spillway area.

Mr. HEBERT. Oh. Where it is going to be?

Senator BILBO. Yes.

Mr. HEBERT. We do not know that yet. We will leave to the engineers what the space will be.

Senator BILBO. How many have given options?

Mr. HEBERT. About 90 percent.

Senator BILBO. You do not know how many
Mr. HEBERT. No, sir; I do not.

hundreds?

Senator BILBO. Is that land in cultivation which is involved in the spillway?

Mr. HEBERT. Quite a good bit of it, and class A land at that.

Senator BILBO. Plantations and small homes?

Mr. HEBERT. Plantations and small homes, too.

I want to thank you gentlemen for having listened to me, and I am glad to have had an opportunity to appear before you.

(The documents referred to and submitted by the witness are here printed in full as follows:)

Recapitulation of lands that will be affected by Morganza spillway

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(Sketch accompanying above table on file with the committee.)

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6. Total of home and farm improvement, including public utilities, which might be impaired by flood waters, in the event of inundation..

$1,825, 660

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6. Total of home and farm improvement, including public utilities, which might be impaired by flood waters, in the event of inundation___

58,045. 6 $3,430, 170

15, 990 $3, 000, 000 $1,250,000

$2, 000, 000

AVOYELLES PARISH

1. Total cultivated area of the parish...

_acres -

2. Total value of lands in the parish (assessment rolls show $9,824,830)--

3. Total number of people in the parish_

4. Total value of agricultural crops.

5. Total value of livestock.

(a) Cattle (42,000).

(b) Hogs (50,000) –.

(c) Horses and mules (10,000) –

6. Total of home and farm improvement, including public utilities, which might be impaired by flood waters, in the event of inundation___

1 Estimated between $3,000,000 and $4,000,000.

125, 000 $20, 000, 000

40, 000

$3,080, 000 $1,654, 000 $504,000 $400, 000 $1, 000, 000

(1)

1. Total cultivated area of parish

IBERIA PARISH

acres__

105, 800 $6,900, 000 30, 000 $4, 000, 000

2. Total value of lands in parish (allowing $40 per acre for cropland
and $10 per acre for the rest of the land in the parish).
3. Total number of people in the parish, approximately.
4. Total value of agricultural crop, approximately.

5. Total number and value of livestock:

23,000 head of cattle, value_.

6,500 head of hogs, value_

700 sheep, value....

100,000 chickens, value..

8,000 mules and horses, value..

Total value of all livestock__

6. Total of home and farm improvement, including public utilities which might be impaired by flood waters in the event of inundation___

$500,000 65, 000 2, 100 50,000

1, 200, 000

1, 817, 100

4, 000, 000

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6. Total of home and farm improvement, including public utilities, which might be impaired by floodwaters, in the event of inundation...

75, 500 $6, 208, 891 25,000 $2,356, 400 $855, 000

$4,853, 167

POINTE COUPEE PARISH

1. Total cultivated area of parish
2. Total value of lands in parish..
3. Total number of people in parish.
4. Total value of agricultural crops -
5. Total number of livestock in parish
6. Total value of livestock in parish

acres.

7. Total home and farm improvement, including public utilities.__

+

79, 363 $4, 459, 902 21, 007

$2,089, 700

177, 510

$1, 634, 468 $6, 459, 902

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6. Total of home and farm improvement, including public utilities, which might be impaired by flood waters, in the event of inundation, third, fourth, and fifth wards (assessed) _

221, 000 $6, 460, 230 620, 000

$6, 000, 000 $2, 000, 000

$5, 489, 570

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5. Total number (9,187) and value of livestock.

6. Total of home and farm improvement, including public utilities which might be impaired by flood waters, in the event of inundation__.

'Approximately one-fourth of St. Mary Parish.

56088-38- -8

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ST. MARTIN PARISH

1. Total cultivated area of parish...
2. Total value of lands in parish
3. Total number of people in parish.

4. Total value of agricultural crops..

5. Total number and value of livestock.

acres...

6. Total of home and farm improvement, including public utilities, which might be impaired by flood waters, in the event of inundation...

108, 000 $5, 400, 000 28, 000 $2,880, 000 $1, 000, 000

$10, 000, 000

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5. Total number (12,550) and value of livestock..

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6. Total of home and farm improvement, including public utilities, which might be impaired by flood waters, in the event of inundation__

$2,500, 000 $850,000

$1, 500, 000

WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH

acres__

1. Total cultivated area of parish..

2. Total value of lands in parish (from assessment).

3. Total number of people in parish (from 1930 census)

4. Total value of agricultural crops -

5. Total number (24,700 head) and value of livestock_

6. Total of home and farm improvement, including public utilities, which might be impaired by flood waters, in the event of inundation (from assessment).

32, 815 $1, 454, 051 9, 715 $1,300, 000 $785,000

$6, 549, 309

The following information was not requested, but it may be of some value: 1. Poultry in the parish (60,000 head).

.$30, 000

Senator HEBERT,

THE FEDERAL LAND BANK OF NEW ORLEANS,
New Orleans, La., March 24, 1938.

c/o Mr. Harry Jacobs, New Courthouse Building,

New Orleans, La.

DEAR SENATOR HEBERT: In answer to your inquiry concerning the land bank's making loans in the Morganza spillway area, I would like to say that this section has for some time been closed to land-bank loans. However, applications are received by the bank for land-bank commissioner loans, which may be made on properties located in the Morganza spillway area.

While you did not ask for information on the Atchafalaya area, the land bank follows the same policy as that outlined for the Morganza spillway except that commissioner loans cannot be made in the area below the vicinity of Krotz Springs. I trust that this information answers your inquiry.

Very truly yours,

R. L. THOMPSON, President.

RESOLUTION BY MR. LACOUR, AND DULY SECONDED BY MR. LANDRY Be it resolved, That it is the sense of this police jury that it hereby approves the immediate construction and completion of the Morganza spillway to be constructed from the present lower guide-line levee of the said Morganza spillway to a point approximately 4 miles north of Morganza to a point known as the Kornbacker line; be it further

Resolved, That it is the sense of this body that the construction of the Morganza spillway should be divorced and separated from the construction of the Eudora spillway; be it further

Resolved, That it is the sense of this body that the permanent location and line of said Morganza spillway should immediately be fixed and designated, for the reason that under the present condition the same works quite a hardship on a

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