The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-06-23
The River and Harbor Plunder.

The river and harbor bill which pass
ed the House on Saturday is q very
suggestive bit of legislation. 1t is the
joint product of six months of log-roll-
ing, engaged in by host of conflicting
interests, which are harmonious only in
one thing, the desire to get all of the
money out of the Treasury possible for
local and special interests. 1t recog-
nizes in thirty five out of the thirty
eight States inlets, creeks, oyster bays,
trout streams and frog ponds which
demand Improvement at the expense of
the public Treasury, and the members
from these several States have pooled
their issues in the grab and propose to
push it through. The bill calls for
Sl7,35O,000 in round numbers, and the
House has been making great show
of virtue by refusing to amend it to
allow any increase of the amounts
recommended by the committee. But
any one conversant with past legisla-
tion upon this subject, together with
the nature of large share of the pro-
posed improvements contemplated in
this bill, will not be misled by the
sham show of economy made by the
House.
A comparison of the amounts appro.
priated in former years and the rapid
increase of these demands will do much
to reveal the size and enormity OF the
job. In lS6970 the amount appro-
priated in this bill was less than S4,-
100000 in 1901 it was S4,400, 900;
in 1871 S2, $5,55S,000: in 1S72.73 it
was S5,l93,O00. During the Forty
fourth Congress it was only $5,0l5,O0O
for two years, while last year it had
swelled to 100000 and this year
it foots up over $l7000,000. At the
| present rate of increase it will require
$26,000,000 next year to satisfy the
demands Of the members who desire to
raise the waters in their respective dis
tracts sufficiently to float them back
into their present seats. A striking
feature of these Improvement schemes
is the fact that when once work is
commenced the demands increase at
fearful rate. Portland last year had
$4,000, this year $4,000; Baltimore
last year $l50,000, now 5000, 900 +;
Charleston last year $l75,OO0, now
S750,000; New Haven last year $780,
900, now 100000 Cumberland Sound
last year 100000, now 100000 /;
Michigan City. last year $4,000, now
$4,000; Yellowstone river last year
| 100000, now 100000. The improve
ments proposed are in many instances
entirely of local and special nature
and have no national significance what
ever, and why the government should
spend millions of dollars to make i'm
provements which at best can benefit
but few individuals is what the
people would like to understand.
The reasons offered by Mr.. Horr and
Others for this gigantic expenditure OF
money are not at all satisfactory To
say the people do not want reduction
of taxes and therefore the money mus,
be returned to them in the form of lib
eral appropriations for that which will
be of little permanent benefit is simply
to offer an insult to their honesty and
intelligence. If our Congressman and
Senator'S studied genuine craftsmanship
more and selfish jobbery less they
would find way TO tighten the peo
pies burdens and economize in the gov
ernment expenditures which would b,
infinitely more 10 their credit than am
such sham excuses for wasteful eYtrav
agance.-Phila, Times