Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-06-22

CURIOUS COLLECTION OF JOBS THAT Is TO
BE PUT THROUGH CONGRESS BY LoG-ROL.
LING.
Special Despatch to the World
WAsuIsGToN, June To- The River
and Harbor bill pending in the House
is q more picturesque collection of jobs
than has ever before been presented to
Congress in that annual and curious
piece of legislation. IL is the product
of four months of log rolling in the
Committee on Commerce. 1t finds in
thirty-tive of the thirty.eight States
inlets and creeks, oyster bays and
fshing-coves and pollywog streams
which demand improvement and it
is largely devoted to the increase of the
push-boat navigation of the country.
The committee in the report accom-.
panying the bill boldly announces its
purpose and makes some extraordinary
statements: "The committee believe
that at no time in the history of our
Government have the people so unani.
mously demanded OF Congress liberal
appropriations for rivers and harbors."
This belief, Of course, is not well ground
ed in the convictions of the masses of
the taxpayers Of the country. The
history has the United States Treasury
been in such a condition as to warrant
large expenditures in this direction
This allusion to the vast surplus in the
Treasury, taken out Of the pockets of
the people, rs prey for spoilsmen, is
unquestionably and ameDtably true;
but the committee have the audacity to
say "that it is the desire OF the people,
rather than reduce the taxes upon the
luxuries OF life, as has been contemplat
ed by this House, that relief be given
to them by large appropriations for in
ternal improvements" This desire"
/ need not say, exists only among the
bene6ciaries of the appropriations.
While the great river systems of the
United States remain the same from
year to year, the most remarkable dis
coveries are annually made OF new
streams which need improvement
Forty such streams have been discovered
since last year. The rapid and alarm.
ing growth of the sums appropriated in
the River and Harbor bill from year to
year should attract the attention and
indignation Of the taxpayers. In 1862
20 the amount appropriated in this bill
was less than $4.0000OO; in lST0-7l
the sum was $i,4OO,O0O; in ls7l-72,$5,.
$4,000 in 1928 it was s., l93, 600;
During the life of the Forty fourth
Congress, the House being largely Dem.
ocratic, the appropriation for two years
was only $5,0l5,0O0 for rivers and
. harbors. The appropriations called for
by the bill now pending for one year
are $l7,3j00O0 in round numbers.
Last year this appropriation was SILL.
100000. The increase in the appropria.
tions for this purpose over those of last
year is about so per cent, and the Re.
publican policy seems to be TO maintain
this rate of increase so that next year
about $40 100000 would be shovelled
into rivers and harbors.
Appropriations once begun are not
easy to stop. Portland last year had an
appropriation of $50, 900, this year il has
$4,000; New Haven last year had S60.
600, now 100000; Baltimore last year
$4,000, now 5000, 600; Chareston $l75,.
600, now $4,000; Cumberland Sound
had last year 100000, now $jO0,OO0;
Michigan City. Indiana. last year $45,.
GO, this year $l7O, 900 Yellow Stone ri.
yer, last year $4,000, now 100000.
Such is the increasing avarice Of our riv.
srs and haFbors. As Mr.. Cox remarks.
cit il not water that raises sppropria.
tions but II Is the appropriations that
raise water"
There are fifteen members of the
House Committee on Commerce. need
not observe that the States from which
they hail are liberally provided for in
this bill. Nearly seven millions Of the
ten millions apportioned to the States
for purposes NOT miscellaneous are given
to these fifteen States represented on
the Committee of Commerce, which a
member calls "committe-States". These
committe states, that is, receive about
three.iourths OF all the appropriations
made outside Of the miscellaneous ap.
preparations for rivers and harbors. OF
course this measure, in which thirty five
States are interested, would get through
Congress even II were ten times - alb
surdly extrRyagant. The large percent
age Of the improvements for which Il
makes provision are in no sense nation.
81 In character and will in no apprecia-
BILE degree enhance the navigable facili
ties snd usefulness Of the American
coast and inland waters. They are 10.
cal ir. every sense and wasteful in the
last degree. Against the purely local
alleged improvements two objections Of
couTae lie, but In vain. They are uncon.
stlsutional in the first placej In the s.