The Washington critic., 1886-04-23
RIVERS AND HARBORs.

10 Judge by tne crltlclsms wmcn are
passed upon the River and Harbor bill
by the opponents of that measure-es-
pecially by those who want to pose be-
fore the country as the economists par
excellence of their day and generation
one would infer that the committee
which prepared the bill was nothing
less or better than a band of public
plunderers. Yet the same fault would
in all probability have been found had
the appropriation been no more than
half what it is. 1t is very certain that
nobody undertakes to explain specif-
cally why at 415, 600, 900 1t is extrava-
giant, or why at S10,000,000 or $1,500,-
coo it would not be eXtravagant.
But the duties of the Rivers and IIar-
bors Committee are of the most per-
picking and trying character, even to
honest men. They are beset from all
directions and on every hand with
clamorous demands for deepened
channel here, Il jetted harbor there, n
breakwater over yonder. They have
pledged themselves to their constitu.
ents in many cases to do all they can
for them in their respective localities.
And who is it that want these improve
ments? 1t will be found as a general
thing that it is the people themselves
who like to be robbed in this way.
Those who succeed in getting what
they ask are well enough satisfied.
Those who do not fall into the ranks
of the GROWERS and croakers.
There is another trouble with which
the committee has to deal, and 1t is
found in the estimates of engineers on
improvements already in progress or
those Of recognized and undisputed
merit. The best engineers all agree
that public works, in order to be well
done, should be done as expeditiously
as possible, and not be delayed by in
sufficient appropriations. Their rea-
soning is sound and practical and can
not be altogether ignored. But if the
bill before the House had been based
upon the estimated cost of the various
improvements proposed, it would have
run to between $4,000, 900 and $50, =.
100000; and it is not so certain but
what it would he saving to the coun.
try to vote this sum at once, If the rev.
enues of the Government would justify
it.
These estimates. however, have TO
be scaled down, and 1t will be seen
from the report of the committee that
the amounts appropriated average only
about one-third of the estimates. In
some cases II is 10 to 10 per cent. less;
In few instances, 1t is more, as high
as fifty per cent That the rating is
well or wisely done in all cases is not
pretended. 1t is no doubt great mis-.
take 10 cripple pending improvements
in order TO find means for inaugurating
new ones. But in any event the com.
mittee has an enormous amount OF dilli-
Guilty to contend with and quite as often
deserves to be commiserated as to be
condemned. 1t is absolutely impossi-
bic TO fix upon n bill that will satisfy
everybody or to pass one that the op.
position will not savagely attack for
partisan purposes. Therefore due al
lowances should be made for the faults
of the measure, which is in the main a
good one, instead of howl raised in
the name of economy, for its emascula-
tion in contempt of the true principles
OF economy,
There is more or less trading and
dickering in connection with this bill,
as with most other legislative business,
but there isn't man on the committee
who is not individually worthy of irust
or who has not the good of the country
at heart. Is II fair to assume that these
representatives of the people, as mem.