New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-30
AFFAIRS AT WASHINGTON.
Az VETO MESSAGE EXPECTED.
THE RIVER AND HARBOR BILL CONSIDERED by THE
CABINET-THE RESULT NOT CERTAINLY KNOWN
-. TAX WILL MISUNDERSTANDING RYAN.

|
bill, and the stream of Congressman calling
at the White House to urge the President tC
| sign il has continued. So much retcence Is
| observed on the subject. both by the Presi
dent and Cabinet, that while there is gen.
| eIal expectation of veto. both Senator NC
| MILAN and Mr. Page, the chairmen of the Commerce
Committees, are still hopeful that the bill will be
| signed. There Is no doubt, however that an adj
verse decision has been reached, and that veto mes
sage will be sent in on Monday. 1t is said that a
prominent member of the House who has.taken
special interest in the Mississippi River improve
| ment represented to the President to-day that n
veto would cause great distress in the South, and
that the President expressed his regret and SYM
pathy with the people of the Mississippi Valley.
| This was taken as another sign of a veto.
1t is fact not generally known that on the first of
the present month the beginning of the new fiscal
year. there was GOO 600 to the credit of the rivers
and harbOrs from last years Appropriation. This
sum has since been drawn down to little below
81 900 O0O If the present BILL appropriating SlS,
1859. should become law, there would be about
500. 600 900 to be expended in the coming eleven
months or not very far from 800. 900 per working
day. Such an appropriation would seem absolutely
inexcusable in the face of the opinion OF the best
judges that not more than S0,O0O.OOO could be
honestly and wisely expended in that time The
largest River and Harbor bill heretofore known ap-
propriated 81 / 100000.
The situation is beset with difficulties for the
President. If he should sign the bill with an an
nouncemcnt that he would permit the expenditure
of tho money only where he deemed 1t wise, he
would be subjected TO enormous pressure and cease
less ANNOYANCE. This plan seems to be regarded as
impractcable. Again, if he should recommend a
bill making one-half the appropriations already
Ia,n cubo he amend
ment. the result would be that every work author
lied in the BILL matter how petty or local or
unusIifiable, would be begun. and the Government
would he committed to its continuance. 1t is not
unlikely some recommendation will be made by the
President in the nature of the Morrill, amendment
with request for authority to restrict expenditure
where he does not think the public interest demands
it. This would give him the power to prevent the
spending of money local Jobs of no public utility
This power has been exercised by Presidents
already. but it is thought he might feel stronger
were the authority directly conferred. There seems
TO be no concert of opinion yet among congressman
as to the steps to be taken after veto. There is
some talk of holding caucus of Republican KEEP
resenatives on the subject but no decision Will be
reached upon this point, of course, until veto has
been actually received.
"Do you think the President will veto the
spondent of Representative Ryan, of Kansas
Il hope he will was the emphatic reply. " Our
internal Improvement legislation is radically
wrong. Both Congress and the War Department
are TO blame OF course, the greater number of So
called improvements i'll progress, the more money
the Army Engineers have to handle and the more as
sIstants to control and direct. L don't
think there is any rvulet one of these
engineers will not undertake to improve.
Let me give you an example. -Four or five years
ago was requested to appear before the Commerce
Committee and ask for an Appropriation for the ex-
animation of the Arkansas River from Fort Glib
SON Indian Territory, to Wichita, distance of some
300 miles. | did not 60, but | did not specially
resist the item. which amounted, L suppose. to
SO. 900 or 3 900. The examination was made and
the engineer reported that the total cost of the i'm
proyement' would be about 100000. Well, the
next year tine Commerce Committee put an item in
the bill for 81 5000 for this improvement told
them that would do no good that they ought to
give the 100000 or nothing Now, that part of
the river has never even been surveyed, AMI year
after year the engineer has asked for an appropra-
ton of SlG 900 for that purpose. Congress has re-
fused to grant it, but has made an appropriation
every year for the Improvement | think
about $4,000. including the $4,000
A. the bill now before the President, has
been appropriated pecemcal for this stretch of
river " Inch has never even been surveyed.
"Tb. money right better be thrown into the
gutter for then a high-Salaried officer would not he
needed to oversee the expenditure which would be
No more wa5teful IN one case than the other. Ot
course | can 30 nothing ABOUT il. Many other Con-
gr,ssmcn are III the situation REGARDING appro-
priltion, for their own districts. They may feel
perfectly certain that the so-called improvement
will be yaluelcss and yet none OF them can afford
to stand up in Congress and oppose an approprla-
ton of public money to be expended in his own DIS
trict although some of them, like myself, vote
against the whole bill"
Ii Will be observed that Mr.. Ryan brings out
new reason why the vicious system of legislation
Tor the improvement of rivers and riyuets cOmpels
the tact support of Congress men, who. if they were
not prevented by local considerations, would OPP
Osc 1T.