Statement showing development of, and resulting liens to lands in, Stoddard County, 1 This includes total Mingo drainage bonds which includes part of Wayne County. 2,809, 032.94 7, 509, 111.93 207, 087 Compilation of loss and damage caused by the overflow of the St. Francis River and its tributaries in Stoddard County, Mo. Stoddard County, Mo., produced in 1925, 21,007 bales of cotton; in 1926, 9,916 bales; in 1927, 4,237 bales; to Nov. 14, 1928, 2,062 bales. Statement showing development of, and resulting liens to lands in Wayne County, Mo.. 1 Part of Wayne County in Mingo drainage district. Total bonds included in Stoddard County. Compilation of loss and damage caused by the overflow of the St. Francis River and its tributaries in Wayne County, Mo. Statement of existing indebtedness, past payments, etc., of Little River Drainage District of Missouri and St. Francis Levee District of Arkansas 1 The proportional burden of the lands in each county for the indebtedness of these districts, past payments, etc., is not included in the totals given in the separate statements pertaining to each county here tofore shown, and such indebtedness, past payments, etc., is in addition to that shown in such statements. The amount of bonds and certificates of indebtedness issued and paid prior to 1900 was not available. Compilation of loss and damage caused by the overflow of the St. Francis River and its tributaries in Arkansas and Missouri, 1927-28 The following losses and damages could not be allocated to each county and year and are not included in total losses and damages of each county. Summary of improvement assessments paid, existing liens for unpaid improvement Total acreage in above counties. Total acreage of cleared land in above counties. Total acreage subject to overflow by St. Francis River and its tributaries. 6, 537, 700 4,026, 312 2,455, 580 Summary of compilation of loss and damage caused by the overflow of the St. Francis SUPPLEMENT TO STATEMENT SHOWING DEVELOPMENT OF ST. FRANCIS RIVER INTRODUCTION The St. Francis River Flood Control Association, believing that the Report 131791-35-35 1928 due to overflow of the St. Francis River and its tributaries in Arkansas and Missouri. This statement was not submitted to the Committees of the Congress of the United States at its December 1928, session for the reason that the Corps of Engineers, United States Army, had not then made their final report under the authority of the Flood Control Act of May 1928. The St. Francis River Flood Control Association is now advised that the final report of the Corps of Engineers, United States Army, has now been transmitted to the Secretary of War, and that same is now ready for submission to Congress in accordance with section 10 of the act of Congress before referred to. Acting upon such information and being desirous, if opportunity offered, of submitting to Congress through its proper committees, information and data reflecting existing conditions, the St. Francis River Flood Control Association has prepared information and data supplementing that hereinbefore referred to, and compiled in the year 1928; this data and information are hereinafter shown in this supplement and should be read and construed along with the compilation made for the year 1928. The facts reflected by this 1929 supplemental statement were obtained in the same manner as was the information in the 1928 compilation. Of the 16 counties in Missouri and Arkansas subject to overflow by the St. Francis River and its tributaries, the counties of Clay, Craighead, Greene, and Mississippi in Arkansas, and Butler, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Scott, and Stoddard in Missouri suffered no flood loss or damage during the year 1929. It will be noted, however, that Stoddard County, in Missouri, was partly overflowed; but for the reasons shown on page 33 of this Supplement, no direct damage resulted. The counties of Crittenden, Cross, Lee, Poinsett, and St. Francis in Arkansas, and Dunklin and Wayne in Missouri, suffered flood loss and damage in the year 1929. The total flood loss and damage in these counties for the year 1929 was $2,350,610, making an aggregate of flood loss and damage caused by the overflow of the St. Francis River and its tributaries in Arkansas and Missouri for the years 1927, 1928, and 1929 of $22,539,824.50. In preparing our 1928 compilation a very important phase of the question involved was overlooked. The information shown therein included, (but did not separately state, the amount of bonds, issued and paid, interest coupons, outstanding and paid, proceeds of which were expended solely for protection from flood waters. In addition, the 1928 compilation did not include the amount spent for maintenance of flood control construction, nor special costs incurred in fighting high waters to hold flood control works intact. On page 37 of the 1929 supplement this information is shown and is self-explanatory. We desire at this point to direction attention to an error appearing on page 38 of the 1928 compilation. The heading of this page is erroneous; as written, it declares the amounts shown as past due to be wholly improvement assessments which is not correct. The amounts there shown as past due are the total of the delinquent assessments for improvements and the delinquent general taxes. On page 38 of the 1929 Supplement we have separated these two items, both as same existed at the time of the 1928 compilation and as same now exists as reflected by the 1929 investigation. It will be noted that present delinquent general taxes on real estate in 1929 is $1,939,792.39, as compared to $1,947,687.00 in 1928, a decrease of $7,894.61; delinquent improvement assessments in 1929 are $711,467.54 as compared to $682,032.66 in 1928, an increase of $29,424.88; total delinquent general taxes and improvement assessments on real estate in 1929 are $2,651,259.93 as compared to $2,629,719.66 in 1928, an increase in total delinquency of $21,540.27. The total bonded indebtedness for improvement districts in this area in 1929 is $238,776,603.65 as compared to $234,897,433.64 in 1928, an increase of $3,879,170.01; the amount paid in 1929 is $66,435,822.14 as compared to $61,641,420.36 in 1928, an increase of $4,794,401.68; the balance outstanding in 1929 is $172,340,781.51 as compared to $173,256,013.28 in 1928, a decrease of $915,231.77. We respectfully submit that the 1929 compilation supplementing that of 1928, reflects a situation in the St. Francis area equally as serious as that existing in 1928; that the necessity for relief, both adequate and immediate, is as urgent now, if not more so, than in 1928; that unless remedial measures are in some manner provided, the situation will continue to become more acute, leading ultimately to the abandonment of a great alluvial agricultural valley, with a value far in excess of the cost necessary for its protection. LANDGON R. JONES, President. CHAS. E. COLLINS, Secretary. |