Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-05-13
Speech OF Hon. X. NJ. La Toilette on the
River and Harbor Bill.


proposed to expend these S15, 00e, 900
| have made my motion, sir, to strike
out this paragraph because it appropri-
ates sum of money for the commence
ment of new improvement for which
no recommendation has been made in
the Book of Estimates. 1t thus forcibly
illustrates the dangerous principles up
on which the bill is constructed. As no
one has yet condemned these faults in
its general plan, venture to call the
attention of the House to them at this
time.
1t needs no argument TO prove that il
any public good is to result from the
improvement of rivers and harbors the
direction of the engineers must be fol-
lowed. They may not be infallible,
indeed we know their projects some
times miscarry. But they are skilled
men; they have carefully surveyed
these different rivers and harbors; they
know far better than any one else what
amount of money can be profitably ex-
pended upon them, and furthermore
their recommendations are not colored
by selfish interest. With them neither
salary nor tenure of office depends in
any manner on the continuation, the
success. or failure of these improve
ments. We must of necessity rely on
their judgment and confide in their
skill. Any money appropriated under
this bill not in accordance with their
recommendations to satisfy the clamor
of local interests is hazarded on the
merest speculation.
Now consider this measure for mo-
ment, comparing the engineers esti-
mates with the appropriations provided
in the bill, and note the policy of the
committee. In few instances the
amount appropriated is equal to the
amount recommended. In one or two
cases more is given than has been asked
for. But the general policy has evil
IDENTIFY been to allow less than one-third
of the engineers estimate. Even if the
discussion had not indirectly called oui
attention to this fault our everyday ex.
perience teaches the wasteful extrava-
gance of such course. Already sew.
eral gentlemen have asserted that the
appropriations for particular improve.
ments are too small to be of any ser.
vice; haye urged with much reason
that unless the sum fixed by the engi
neers be given in this or that particular
case the amount which has been ap.
propriated will be actually lost. What
reason, | ask, is there to suppose in any
Improvement already in progress, where
the engineers say $4,000 can be profit
ably expended, that two thousand may
not be actually wasted in thus subject
ing unfinished work to long continued
wear and tear of the elements.
1t is true that it would be impossible
to follow the estimates of the engineers
in all these various improvements; that
had it been done by the committee this
bill would have reached the enormous
proportions of $42, ,000-an expen
diture at which every man on this floor
would be appalled,; which every man
here would hasten to condemn; an ex-
penditure which would stagger the tax
payers of this country; aud yet we have
upon our hands at this moment plan,
and we are committing this Govern.
ment to system year by year in this
legislation which will sooner or later
force an appropriation for this very
work by the side of which this appro-
priation of forty-two million would pale
into insignihcance. And, sir, say right
here that If the revenues of the country
would permit (which, of course, they
do mott would be much wiser, much
moro economical, to expend that sum
at once and end it than to expend
five or SIX times that amount
for the same work on identically the
same Improvements when spread over
eight or ten years.
We know that the resources of the
Government will not permit such col
ossal appropriations; and waving all
consideration of whether they will war
rant even as much as this bill carries,
simply call the attention of this House
to the evil tendencies, the glarlng inn
PROJECTIONS, of river and harbor bills
framed upon this plan.
Let us analyze this particular meas
ure more closely. | find that it makes
appropriations for two hundred and
eighty-four different rivers and harbors.
Included in this number are sixty-three
on which the engineers recommend that
the work be completed with the coming
fiscal year. A careful reading of the
bill discloses that this recommendation
has been followed in only five in.
stances.
Now. | admit that if after appropria-
ting the amount necessary to preserve
works already begun the revenues
would not warrant completing more
than five improvements, then the com.
mittee has acted wisely. But they have
pursued no such course. While pro-
vision has been made for completing
only five works out of the sixty-three
that ought to have been completed,
twenty-three new improvements have
been Incorporated in the bill. The com
millee has provided for the commence
ment of twenty-three new improvements
while they have left unfinished fifty
eight demanding completion. While
in most cases only about one-third oil
the amount necessary to successfully
prosecute the work has been allowed,
while in many instances enough has
not been given to save works from &C.
tual destruction, while fifty-eight i'm
provements that ought to have been
completed are to drag along subject to
the destroying influences of heat, frost,
floods, currents and tides; while this is
the case the bill before us makes ap-
preparation to break ground in twenty
three new places.
Not only this, but directly in the
same line, illustrating and emphasizing
further the faults of the system upon
which the bill is constructed, is the pro
vision for ninety-eight new surveys.
Judging the effect of this portion of the
measure upon next years bill by the
effect of like provisions upon similar
legislation in the past, the result vii
be the incorporation of at least twenty
five new improvements in the bill for
next session.
There is but one conclusion To bt
drawn from these facts, that under thi.
plan improvements begun will continu,
each year to exceed those finished in
the ratio of five new avenues of expend
iture to each one completed and CLOSED
up.
My time will not allow extended il
Illustrations of the objections to which
have called your attention; but, in pas
sing. few instances gathered from al
examination of the Chief Engineers re
port emphasizes sufficiently the viciou
wastefulness of this system of piece
work legislation.
In 1866 the work at Plymouth Har
Dor, Massachusetts, was directed with
view to rendering it more permanent
This work progressed with as good re
suits as the appropriations could yiel,
till in 1884 when the engineers asked fo
the sum of $4,000 with which to com
plete the improvement by June, 1885
But Congress, instead, appropriate
/ SI0 000 IN cantinua tho work 9TH