The Portland daily press., 1876-04-22
Public Works and Political EconOmy.

The present Congress seems to be not un-
like its predecessors in that the spirit of econ
omy in all public expenditures assumes
form, lot in accordance with laws of political
economy as science, but of that other form
OF "politicaP' economy, which, unfortunate
ly for the nation, seems always to be the
guide Of the average NJ. G.. In the appropri-
ations made for public works, he appears to
lose sight of the necessity of this or that inn
provement called for and the best and cheap.
est mode of doing the work, but too often acts
in accordance with the dictates of that mar
row "polticap economy which is party poll.
cy and party success.
In this connection attention is called to
the action of the House ON the bill ap-
propriating money to continue the work on
the sea-coast Notifications. No new works
are recommended at present and those exist
ing or partially built form but necessary
nucleus at each important seaport of the
more numerous and extensive works which
would be needed in time of war. No esti-
mates are so carefully made as those of the
Engineers bureau for the fortifcation bill.
They were made, too, with full apprecia-
tion of the cheapness of labor at the present
time.
Yet the House regardless of both the neces-
sity of completing the sea-coast Notifications
and of thefact that ordinary labor is the princi-
pal element Of the cost of construction, have
thrown out nearly all the estimates of the
engineers for the sea-coast defences and sent
the bill to the Senate i'll such tattered con-
dition that should it pass that body nearly all
the laboring men depending upon the work
for employment must be discharged and all
the machinery and appliances of these works
will suffer period of dsuse and decay, re-
quiring a renewal at no little expense when
needed again. Three years ago, partly owing
to the eight hour law, laborers received from
80 to $3.50 a day. The same men can now
be employed at half that price. In view of
this it would have been good political econo-
my in Its highest sense to have made the ap-
preparations asked for by the engineers and
at once secured the completion of the works
~ AS'S PAiSS oiah dv lb OtuCl tlLlC dIu dlSO
given employment to large number of poor
men. Both the government and the laborer
would have Eeen benefited by this line of
policy.
Pursuant TO that other political economy
which impels the Congressman to get the
greatest possible amount appropriated for his
own district, the House has appropriated
over five and a half millions for river and
harbor improvements. Many of the items in
this bill were made up by the engineers but
in many instances it will be found that thous-
ands of dollars are appropriated for this and
that improvement which no experienced
officer would approve, but doubtless the
friends of the Congressman getting the same
will warmly commend him on the ground
that the district is poor and needs the money.
But admitting that the Notifications begun
are necessary and that the greater part of the
appropriations made for the completion of the
same would appear in the payroll of the la
borers, that there is no room for jobbery or
private gain in such appropriations, it does
seem that the simplest lesson of political
economy would lead Congress to make the
appropriations required by the estimates of
the engineers when, by so doing, the works
can be completed at much less cost than in
seasons of greater business activity. 1t is
such regard for real economy which leads
men of capital to take advantage Of the pres
ent season of depression to construct expen-
sive blocks in this and other cities. Con-
gress might learn lesson from this fact if it
would.