Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-02-07

The following letter from Representa-
tive Garfield explains the grounds of its
appearance. There is no little interest
and dissatisfaction felt by the citizens of
this vicinity In the cutting down of the
estimate for the improvement of Ashta-
bula Harbor, and in the belief that Mr..
Garfeld's influence could do much TO
prevent the adoption of the reduced es-
innate, he has been addressed by letter
on the subject, by several Of our citizens,
and last W eek, it will be fecollected, an
allusiOn was also made to the same
subject, in the Telegraph. As the read
lest way of meeting the deep feeling
thus enlisted, and to show the matter up
in its present status, we have, with the
permission of Mr.. Garfield, thought best
to give the letter, received, as its date in
dicates. There'csn be no doubt but that
our member fully understand the i'm
pOrtance of a liberal appropriation for
this Harbor, and that he will use all his
vigilance and influence to make the ap-
preparation as liberal as the Course of
1gid economy of the Government will
allow.
James Reed Bsq-DEAR SIR: I have
to-day received the Telegraph of February
1st, and have read your remarks concern
ing the appropriations for Rivers and Har-
bors. 1 write to explain the steps by
which the present situation in regard to
this subject has been reached.
In the regular book of estimates submit
ted to Congress. on the first day of its
meeting, the total estimates for the Rivers
and Harbors of our country are S15,694,-
5l4, an unusually large sum-. In view of
the great falling of of the revenues in con-
sequence of the panic, the Secretary of the
Treasury of the o. s., announced that
there would be a deficit in the revenues
amounting probably to fortY-two millions
of dollars. This amount it was necessary
for Congress to obtain either by increased
taxation; by borrowing money, or by re-
ducing expenditures. The House by an
almost unanimous resolution directed the
President to cause the estimates of appro-
priations to be re-examined for all the
Departments of the Government, with
view to reducing the amount called for
during the coming year. go
On-the re-assembling of Congress on the
Sd of jan, after the holiday vacation. the
President forwarded TO the House, the re-
vised estimates) in which the Engineer
Department recommend that the estimates
for rivers and harbOrs be reduced, for the
whole country, to the sum of $5,6s4, 800.
This very great reduction was made who'll
ly on the judgment Of the Engineer Dept,
and 1 was not aware until some time after
the new estimates came in, that the
amount fer Ashtabula had been SO largely
cut down. .f --a.s. u
1 am quite willing that our lake shall
bear its full share IN the reduction made
necessary by the general condition Of the
country; but I shall do what can to Sc
cure more equitable distribution of the
decrease, so that the important Harbor at
Ashtabula shall not be neglected. The
bill making appropriations for R1yers and
Harbors is not in my charge but is in the
hands of the COMMITTEES on Commerce. il
thrust our citizens will appreciate the
necessity of making the estimates as low
as possible consistent with the interests of
hepublic service Very truly yours,
.o .l5 ]. A. GARFIELD