Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-10-24
MISSOURI RIVER IMPROVEMENTS
From the Kansas City Times.I

Major T.. r. Suter, president of the
Missouri river commission, arrived i'll
the city yesterday from St. Joseph,
where he has been inspecting the gov
eminent work being done at that point.
Asked at the Coates house last evening
about the status of the work here he
said that after the completion of kaw
and Quindaro bends nothing would re-
main of the appropriation to commence
on the east bottoms. "Beside' he add
ed, sit is 10 too late to do anything.
Kaw bend has been completed and
Quindaro will be in a few days. When
| say completed | with the *
ception of a covering of rock. 1t will
take about a month TO do this. Do |
think it wise to spend the entire APP
preparation on this work to the neglect
of the east bottoms? Certainly L do.
This is really the key to the situation.
The great danger has been that the
river would break through the neck of
land at Harlem and cut the bridge OIL.
This we have been laboring to prevent,
that is, we have prevented it."
"YOu will of commence on
the east bottoms early next spring?"
"That depends entirely on the action
of congress-. / have already asked for
an appropriation of $1,000, 900 tor the
lower Missouri river. All the prepar-
atoms of the commission have been to
expend this amount every year, and
we have so proportional our plant.
The only economy is in working the
plant the whole season, as otherwise it
is idle the greater portion of the time.
Beside, unless we do utilize the whole
season we cannot work our men to adj
vantage. Here we have a force of 700
men trained in. They will be released
as soon as the work is finished, and the
chances are that we shall not get a
dozen of them back next year.. BY
working the season through, how
ever, we gain a very great advantage
from the experience of the men. But
as to the appropriation. Everything
depends upon the temper of congress.
Last year the river and harbor bill was
defeated on the lower Mississippi ques-
ton. They have an estimate in this
year for $4,000, 900. If they don't get
it they will defeat the bill as they did
the last. Upon the whole the position
the Missouri river appropriation Occu-
pies is a very uncertain One."
"What do you think of the plan to
separate it from the river and harbor
bill"
81 think it is just what is wanted,
but l don't believe it will ever be done.
Congressman have always professed
their willingness to vote for either the
Missouri or Mississippi river appro-
priations if they could be got out of the
river and harbor bill. The fellows who
have small streams to provide for pre-
fer to take their chances with the big
ones, and would never consent to a
separation. If the Missouri river could
stand Oh its own merits there would be
no trouble about getting its appropria-
ton"
"'Then the defeat of the river and
harbor bill will stop the improvement
of the Missouri"
elf there is no appropriation this
year we won't have enough money left
TO take care of the boats, This would
be the case all over the country, and
millions of dollars worth of property
are involved. The only way | see out
of the difficulty, and l suggested 1t to
Mr.. Bullene, when he called on me, is
to get a relief bill through early in the
winter and have the money ready by
early springtime. l very much ques-
ton whether this is not the proper
course to pursue anyhow. The river
and harbOr bill is always put off till
the last and as this is to be the long
session it will not be reached until July.
| have known the bill to be passed as
late as August. This would delay the
work until very late in the season when
we should commence as early as pos
slble. If the friends of the Missouri
river will get through a relief bill to
complete the work already commenced,
with $1,000 0 or 100000, we could
work at Harlem and the
east bottoms as soon as the river Is
.navigable and could get the banks pro-
tected within thirty days after Begin
ming work. This would place you in
condition. Under the policy
recently adopted by the government of
completing work at one point before
going to another, we have been enab-
led to make the work we have done
absolutely safe. This year we have
constructed two miles of revetement at
st. Joseph and four miles at Kansas
City. If the appropriation asked is
passed in time tor us to commence as
as the river is navigable we will
be enabled to do much more next wear,