The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-19
CUT IN THE HARBOR BILL.
THE SENATE LOWERS THIS YEARS
AMOUNTS 25 PER CENT

|
The Amounts to be Ultimately tx
pended for the Completion of
Contracts Not Affected by the
! Reduction-The Shortage Can be
| Made Up at the Next Session.
WASHINGTON, May lS.-The Senate COM
merce committee to-day applied the pruning
knife literally to the river and harbor ap-
preparation bill Probably the discussions
in both house OF congress recently led to
this ection, but, however, that may
be- although the Dill had been reported to
the Senate and was called up for
action probably to-day the comm ittee al
the last moment decided that the total Of
the bill as reported to the Senate (s2l .946-
975) was too large, and realizing the end ess
trouble and dissatisfaction that would .ol-
low any effort to discriminate between the
various contracts and continuing appropri-
alton projects, which it was determined
should bear the brunt of the reduction,
adopted the course Of reducing the appro-
priation of all of them Is per cent. The re-
suit was the reduction of the total appro-
priation made by the bill by S2,0S8, $50,
bringing that total down to 800, 1891 1868,
which is nearly $1,000, coo less than the
appropriation made by the bill as
1t came from the House. Among the
projects scaled down were the following:
Charleston, S. c., from $780, 900 to 1926, 900;
Savannah, Ga, from $425, 900 to 1913, $50;
Mobile, Ala, from $250.000 TO $751; 800;
Upper Mississippi, from 81, 800. 900 to
S1,125, 200; Lower Mississippi, from
s2.945, 900 to S2,2Os, $50; ST. Johns river,
Florida, from $3.50. 900 to $112,5O
AS was to be expected the action of the
committee In reducing the total of the ap-
preparation bill caused some excitement
among senators aud representatives in
terested in the contract projects and there
were many calls for explanations.
CHAIRMAN FRYE's EXPLANATION.
Chairman Frye this afternoon said that
the reduction has been made because it was
found that it could be done without injury
to the projects, and it was advisable TO
keep the appropriations at the lowest figure
consistent with the public veal He ex>
planned that the total appropriations au-
thorized to be made for any Of the contract
projects had not been touched,
and that the cut affected only
the appropriations for the next
fiscal year. Under the terms of
the bill the Secretary Of War would be au-
thoriZed to contract for the completion of
projects at the same figures as were given
in the bill as reported to the Senate, and the
to-day would be only to reduce by IS per
cent. the amount of money that would be
available this year for payments on con-
tracts.
MONEY CAN BE VOTED NEXT YEAR.
Another member Of the commerce COM
mittee said that the projects would not suf-
fer at all, and he explained this assertion
by calling attention to the fact that the bill,
as has been the case with all such measures
ArVr
cover two years work. Next year when
congress meets, said he. it can make provis-
ion for continuance of contract works in
the sundry civil appropriation bill Just as it
did in the case of the Galveston harbor i'm
provement last year. being bound to do so
by contracts made under authority of this
bill.
THE HOUSE TO ACQUIEsCE.
The first report that reached the House of
the action OF the Senate commerce commit
tee gave rise to considerable talk and dis
play OF feeling on the part of members, the
report being that there had been a general
out of 20 per cent. all along the line. A
number of members Interested in items of
the bill said that they would
fight the reductions, and that
they would not get through
the House, but must be changed in con-
ference. There was a subsistence Of this
Ldlk, however, Wnen Cne IdCES became
known and it was ascertained that only the
contract provisions had been cut The
members interested in these works said that
they would have liked larger appropria-
tions this year, but they could probably get
along with q smaller appropriation and SO
long as there was provision for the compile
ton Of the work they would not object SO
strenuously to starting in to work on
comparatively small scale, especially as
next year in the sundry civil appropria-
ton bill an appropriation would be made in
stead OF putting further appropriations over
until the long session of congress, as would
be the case with the other items which
are included in the biennial river and harbor
bill. In fact IN the House considerable
opposition was shown TO the amounts
allowed contract improvements, on the
ground that they we're large as compared
with other work, which would have to
secure two years provision in a single bill
There will be opposition manifested to the
reduction. but not nearly 80 much as if the
out had been general.