1. I beg to acknowledge yours of August 17, 1916, written from Asheville, N.C.¹

2. On the 16th inst., I forwarded to Asheville a letter addressed to you, enclosing copy of a circular of information and instructions² which had been sent to my representatives throughout the district, and also to the chairmen of the county committees, according to a list furnished me some days ago by Mr. Edward E. Britton, Chairman of the State Central Relief Committee.

3. I agree with you that $1.15 per day is small pay, everything considered, and not too much to be disbursed for an honest day's toil of any sort, but you will appreciate that I must conform to instructions from the Chief of Engineers, to the effect that rates of pay for flood relief work shall be less than current wages. I am sure that this matter will be henceforth handled satisfactorily, since my representatives have full authority to fix wages, in conference with the county committees, provided only, that the pay is slightly less than that usually paid in the county for similar work.

4. Unfortunately some misunderstanding has arisen in the western-most counties of the state, the committeemen of which are applying to me for warrants for Federal funds. Due to the fact that many of these counties are drained into the Tennessee River, they belong to the Tennessee Engineer District, headquarters of which are at Nashville, Tenn. Capt. Bain, in charge of that office, has had two assistant engineers in the field for sometime, and apparently the work is going forward under instructions issued by him. His principal assistant is W. S. Winn, whose present address is Langren Hotel, Asheville, N.C. I have had no orders to take over this portion of the state for flood relief purposes.