Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-08-21
Congress- Criticised.
The Missouri River Commission
Lodges a Complaint.
TIEING UP THE APPROPRIATIONS

of Acknowledgement Told Plainly
That 1t Il Wasting Money I'm the Inter-
ests of Private, Corporate and Munich
pal Property-Another Rule In Favor
of Pension Claimants.
WASHINGTON CITY, Aug 21.-The annual
report of the Missouri river commission has
been received by the chief of engineers. 1t
states that at the date of their last annual
report the funds in the hands of the commits
sion was practically exhausted and no work
was in progress. Out of the 100000 APP
propriated by the river and harbor bill for
1883, $4,000 was specifically assigned to
eleven different localities between Sioux
City, Ia, and the mouth of the river, while
from the s225, 900 remaining the commission
were obliged to provide for two important
works, viz: The improvement of the river
above Sioux City and the removal of OBJ
structions which had always heretofore been
provided for by special appropriations.
When these works and the Missouri river
survey had been provided for, the small sum
remaining available was allotted to Kansas
City, the special appropriation made for that
point being considered inadequate to the
magnitude and importance of the work re-
quired there and partly executed in former
years
A Criticism of Congress.
The concluding portion of the report is a
sharp criticism OF congressional action in
past appropriations. 1t is as follows:
"Since the date of the last report the act
of Aug. IL, 1885 has become law. Under
the provisions of this act the further carry.
ing on of the plan and the programme here
tofore recommended by the commission foi
the Improvement of the Missouri became
practically impossible; and it may be in
ferred from this that the plan has been def
nitely rejected 10y congress The commits
sion reverts to this subject with much diff
dence, but it believes that it would he evad
ing its duty the professional advisers Of
congress were it to fail to point out wha
the effect upon navigation and commerce
will be if the policy outlined in that act b
permanently adopted.
Administers IA Soothing Braught.
"It Graves the forbearance of congress /
in the following remarks IL appears to be
arguing point which that body has already
decided 1t is actuated by no contention
motives, but merely by desire to prevent
the disappointment of congress, which mus
attend failure 1.-THE work.
Meaning of the Organic Act.
"The commission has always understood
from the wording of the organic act of july
$, 1884. that the primary object of the appro.
priations was to benefit the commerce and
navigation of the United States, and not t.
protect private, corporate or municipal
property from the ravages of the river. L
the latter could be done incidentally, as
| part of the general Improvement, so muct
| the better, but it was not a primary object
Improvement In Spots won't DO.
@The river can be controlled only by
continuous improvement IL left free a
| one point, it may approach an improved
| portion below in the manner designed for it
or in some entirely different and Unforeseen
way. TIE commission does not desire to b.
| understood as expressing the opinion tina
there are no points upon the river which
should lie protected by the government
independently of the navigation interest Tha
is question of public policy about which
| its judgment has not been asked But i
| feels bound to say that funds applied in that
| way cannot be considered applied TO thu
benefit of navigation. Every allotment from
the fund for the general improvement mad
| to a detached locality reduces that fund anC
defers the resulting benefit to navigation
proportionately. Ii, as in the act Of Aug
IL, 1855, nearly the entire fund be allotted {,
widely separated localities, the improvement
of navigation is practically stopped.
A Pure Waste of Money.
at is the opinion of the commission tina
| an indefinite number OF millions of dollars
| they cannot guess how many-cau be e1
pended upon the river in that way withou
benefiting navigation appreciably. Whethe
other interests viii receive an adequate RI
turn from such expenditure is not now tn
| question; hut it is certain that the navigs
| tion interest viii not If, as the commissio
supposes the primary object of the work
to improve the navigation of the river,
cannot possibly succeed if carried on in th
manner rendered necessary for the operation
of this year by the act of Aug. IL, 1sSsn