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within a district defined in advance. And this agency must be appointed 
and directed by the courts or by a State board. 
This is the crucial problem. It involves the coordination of several, at 
present unrelated agencies, as for instance the city government, the county 
commissioners, and the railways. 
Of what benefit is it to a city like Peru, to spend $350,000.00 on a 
levee, if this scheme demands for its proper action the lengthening of a 
county or railway bridge, when the county commissioners or railway 
officials refuse to codperate. 
It must also be remembered that we all have gone ahead creating new 
obstructions in the flood plain and in the channel which interfere with 
the flow of our flood waters. Railways, cities and county commissioners 
are responsible for the conditions. Channel obstructions must be removed, 
and either the State or the Federal Government must take action. Some 
control must be exercised over present as well as future constructions in 
the channels. 
FourTH PROBLEM. 
Valley Protection. 
When we take a wider view than that of the specific problem of a 
single city, we must consider a flood protection scheme from the stand- 
point of the watershed as a whole. One city in Indiana has made flood 
protection plans which deflect the water around the city, and throw it 
around in increased volume on its neighboring down stream. Cities often 
content themselves with sluicing the water through the cities and pile them 
up on communities below. Here is again the problem of state action to 
protect the whole people. Fortunately this is not merely an action of 
control, but means a wider viewpoint that may disclose a cheaper and 
better method of protecting the whole valley. 
FIrTH PROBLEM. 
Maintenance. 
After these works have been constructed, we have a fifth problem in 
their maintenance. It must be recollected that these works are built to 
protect against floods which happen only once or twice in a generation. 
Naturally such works as leeves and reservoirs will tend to be neglected 
during this unused interval. If people construct dwellings and operate 
industries in a space supposedly protected by improperly maintained reser- 
