Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-02
RIVERS AND HARBORS.
Efforts OF the Tsxas Members 10 Sci
App-epEistioes s'srausn for Their
SEase--rhe DRbA4u Coa!.gusa,
rae AeRusss Pass, Galveston, sebins PSss
and Blus aird Bsrbcr APPROPRIATIONS
Bsthe Bill Now Stands
correspon 4enee of The Gazette.

WASHINGTON, April 24-The debste
on tns river enc haroor bill still conlin-
tinres, sad the Texas delegation ere
making g strong fight for appropriations
for tae waterways of that stasG. Mr..
Grain endeavored to have the appropris-
ton OF 100000 for Arkansas PISS in
creased to $4,000, but failed. He SUBJ
mitted the following letter from the en-
ginear Of the harbor Improvement at
Araasss PISS, NJ. C. q. Butts, in sup
port OF has proposition to increase the
smouat of tbs appropriation:
ARKANSAS Pass, lex March 30, 1888 -
SIR:S 1 nsve boar for yesrs in local
tdsree Of tac h&rber Improvement con-
d1c ed oy the Uaited States government
a. bis psss aud an at present Inspecting
agent for the government while the work
is being csrtied On under contract. sm
peif CITY familiar with al things pertain
Ing u the pass and 10 Improvement. I
have made the winds knd rides and cur
rerfs, FSith taeir effects, a study, and
h5v: carefully noted the result OF all
WORK dons. Ia short, sir, have beer
rign5 on The ground here as sgens for the
gov rAment, giving my whole time and at
teA1icn 70 tniS WORK, and hsve gsi5ed SO
much Ui the confidence OF all persons IN
te1 ted il this work that they have sp-
pe2.rd 80 me TO address you, calling your
aE.sn ion TO the smsllness of amount of
N ,ueg recommended by the committee
on rivers aud haroors for the improve
II. ns Of this p8ss, asking you to call TO
yoIc sid cur respected Senator's ard
your colleagues who are interested, or
wlo represent cons ituency who are
Interested in this work, and exert all
your powers 10 have the amount increased
every dollar possible.
Oar people have come to realize thst
deep water on Arkansas bar is 8 matter Of
vital i'm oortspce TO them. as the develop
meat Of the conn.ry depends entirely
upon it. They see bright prospects ahead
in the tide OF immigration tending toward
this part of Texas, end in the many capt.
tslists seeking advantageous investments.
The United States government should
give to the stste of Texas at least one
deep water port in the interest of her
great commerce. It should give to the
nsvigators OF the world one deep water
port on the coast Of Texas as a harbor,o of
refuge. There is not port on the coast
OF this great state In which deep sea
vessel can seek safety in distress. With
these considerations in view, l suggest
that our representatives. make study OF
the results slresdy obtained with the
money expended here. The reports of
the United States engineers show that
the results promised we're very nesrly
obtained under moss unfayorable circum-
stances, and will satisfy any observing
person that had the amounts they recon-
mended as asked for been appropriated,
those results would have been realized.
This bar was deepened, By government
work, from feet in 1879 TO 101 feet
both at mean low tide-in 1854, and that
depth WAS maintained until appropria
tions ceased and work suspended.
The present officer in charge has re-
newed operations with the appropriation
of 1885, which will soon be expended in
repairing dsmsge during delay, and all
interested citiaens OF Southwest Texas
pray to the honorable members Of Con-
gIess to appropriate snd place in his
hands sufficient fu IDS to enable him to
carry his projects to speedy and sue
cassful issue.
The 100000 recommended by the
committee should be increased to
5000, 600, but even $3.50, 900 would enable
the engineers to make such showing
that their estimates and reports would
demand more attention than ever before.
You will observe, sir, that do not sd
dress you by virture of my position, but
as 8 citiz3 IN, by request of my fellow
citizens ON account of my long acqus.nt-
ance with the work and thorough knowl-
e1ge Of the bar and pass. Yours,
most respectfully,
G. q. BUTTS,
Rockport, Texas.
HON. W. Il. GRAIN, M. c.,
Washington, D. G.
The debate on the question of eppro-
priating 100000 for Galveston hsrbor
was interesting and spicy, being con-
Quoted by Mr.. Boutelle of Maine, Mr..
Bsyne of Pennsylvania, and Mr.. Stewart
of Texas. Mr.. BouteIle quoted from
speeches made by Mr.. Mills and Senator
Reagan in 1885 (tnen Representative,
is which both of the Texas members
stated that the proposed improvement of
Galveston hsrbor wss absolute waste of
time and money, from which no actual
practical benefit would ensue.
Mr.. B0utelle said: l call the attention
of the House 20 the remarks msde on that
subject on the ooh of Janusry, 1888, by
the Hon. Mr.. Reagan, then Representa-
tive in this boiV. He WAS at that time
dQVOcStlnS UluSrcnt KIM u expenditure
a different plan for the Improvement of
Galveston h1rbor. He then represented
q portion Of Texas in this branch of Con-
gress, and sine he made that speech he
has been sent to the Senate, perhaps on
account of the frankness with which he
denounced such proposed expenditure Of
the public money at that time.
He said with regard to the expenditure
on these jetties for the Improvement of
the channel of Galveston:
Twill answer the gentleman, Mr.. Chair
man For eleven years this Congress has
been most liberal in its appropriation for
the harbor Of Galveston. It has required
expenditures there to be inside under the
direction Of the Engineer Corps of the
United States. 1t has expended in the
attempted prosecution of that work about
SI,500, 600. The money has been ex-
pended and substantially no progress has
been made.
In another place he says In relation to
this expenditure OF money on Galveston
hsrbor:
tbs true 81, SOC, 900 have been expended
from first to last, and there is but little
difference in the condition Of the harbor