New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-14

reports and recommendations. At this stage of the
proceedings the Congressman again appears upon
the scene. He besieges the rooms of the Commerce
Committee, and lays in wait for individual members
of that committee. He forms combinations with
other Congressman who want improvements for
creeks and rivulets in their districts. Sometimes
he is member of the Commerce Committee him
self, and then his task is very easy one He can
take care Of all the streams in his State. Thus
Mr.. Reagan of Texas, who is chairman Of
the committee has managed this year to
secure $75O.O00 for his State. and the other
fourteen members of the committee have been
able to secure appropriations for their respective
States to the amount of nearly $4.500,O00. When
work has once been begun upon stream, however
unimportant it may be. 1T usually continued
through long series of years Engineers like
steady job we'll Congressman do large and reg
ular appropriations.
The bill now under consideration i'll the House OF
Representatives is by all odds the worst of the kind
which has ever emanated from the Commerce Com
mttce. 1t includes about twice as many items rs
the similar bill did eight years ago, and nearly
all the additions for appropriations
to improve rivers, creeks and bayOus which
no amount of money could make navi-
gable L any respectable sense. Take for tx
ample tho "Tradewater River" which is new
in Kentucky Nothorough survey of this river has
ever been attempted. The assistant engineer
reports that "the improvement of the Trade
water River so as to make it navigable at
all times would greatly benefit the region
through which 1t flows" lie thinks it could be pre-
pared, "for descending navigation only" by the
removal of all snags, drifts. detached rocks or
boudcrs fish-dams, ETC., and the Overhangng trees
on its banks Captain Cuyler, of the engineers, re-
ports that slackwater navigation might be obtained
by the construction of locks 12O feet
long by 20 feet wide; larger locks, he
thinks would be useless because the stream woud
rot afford water enough to make them OF any ser
vice The descending navigation only" would
apply to 1at-boats aud tmber-rifts. Captain Guy
Ter guesses that the improvement would cost about
Sis OOO but confesses that this estimate Is based
upon no trustworthy data He adds that " to I'M
prove the present natural navigation to any useful
extent it is estimated that the of at least
$4,000 would be required" The Commerce Com
mittee has recommended an appropriation of $3 900.
which sum will do no good whatever.
But this is only the entering weGge. The River
and Ha:bor bill this year contains al item OF
500 600 for the Little Kanaw ha River in West
Virginia. Upon this stream $5o,OG0 had already
been appropriated. The engineer says that the OBJ
ject of " the present plan of improvement Is the
attainment of raft and push-bOat navigation at
lower stages than was before practicable" and he
estimates that to complete the improvement of the
stream for these purposes will require an
additional expeLditure OF 1900, 900. This noun
talu torrent will then be naVgab.o iOr push ooatS
for O distance of about eighty miles. For continuing
the Improvement OF the Great kanawha IN the same
Siate-a river which is certainly great IN respect
to the amOuut vi money required 10 make II haV!Ha-
ble-an appropriation Of $2O0 OOo IS to he madr IN
addition to the S1,2OO,O0O which has been
five years. To complete the nproTement % Ven ndn
more will be needed. For the Guyaud6ttc River,
also In West Virginia. $500 is asked in addition
to 80, 900 heretofore appropriated. kart haVlGa-
ton primarily and pGsh-bOat navigation ulti-
mately' are sought on this stream. The engineer
wisely forbears to estimate the probable ultimate
cost of this struggle against nature, ana ne re-
marks: No permanent or entire completion" can
he made under the present project. lt appears that
several private inil-dams must be removed before
The assistant engineer triumpbanty reports that
an old mill.dam at Little Ugly Shoals has been
removed Snd % 6caSs a% ON
the bars" are very frequently mentioned
in the reports obstacles 10 the navigation Oi the
mountain valleys of West Virginia. Thls the en-
gineers report on the Elk River Improvement con
tains the following pregnant sentence before the
river can be considered properly prepared for the
full development OF the trade upon H. some OF al OF
the private mill-dam should certainly be removed
or modified y; otherwise the present idea Oi max
in9 AN Open navigation of ten or twelve inches
dentb will have TO be abandoned. For the Elk
River an appropriation OF $4,000 ls asked Ill al,
dtion TO the 900 hitherto appropriated And
it is estimated that the work can De completed lor
raft and puslbOat navigation by an additional
expenditure OF $9O, -
fhe Big Sandy River in Kentucky has swallowed
up $40 900 of the public money in the last three
wears; $40 900 to be appropriated for next year
and the estimated additional cost ~ carryl1g out Ihe
present plan of improvement is $l672,OOO Inc
natural channels are narrow obstructed, and with
as little as three inches OF water IN % them at low
| atAn1a nd rtn
was not 80 deep before the S79,OOO was
expended for the assistant engineer reports that
I" the amount expended has considerably wldcned
and deepened these channels and rendered the nhv-
CATION easier" 1he engineer remarks that " the
plan of improving the natural channels Goes not
admit from its nature OF q permanent completion
the outlook for the future IS, therefore, more cheer
full for the contractors and Kentucky congressman
than il is for the taxpayers. -, =,
The bill contains al item of &c. 800 for "Obed,s"
River In Tennessee in addition to an appropriation
of 81 900 made last year. In regard to this appr0
of a auandary. 1t appears that Obey" as we'll as
"Obed," has q river 10 Tennessee and that Obeys"
River is the larger. "Obeys" River, tOO is the one
which was surveyed. The vIgilant members Of the
Commerce Committee. who sat up nights to study
the engineers reports and construct River and
Harbor bill which they and its friends all declare to
be perfect have not :. yet discovered the
obyIons on page 1858 of the report
of the Chief of Engineers The committee
il perhaps entitled to excuse-lenDessee has no
a Tennessean should expect to be well enough ac-
quainted with the local geography OF that state to
be able to distinguish between "Obey's" River and
Obeds" River.
THE SHIP RAILWAY BILL
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l
WASHINGTON. Feb. 13.-In conversation with
,danf h;a Eadc