Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-23
WANTS A FAIR SHARE.
Pennsylvania Not Getting Enough for
Waterway Improvements.
A MILLION ASKED FOR A CANAL.
The Keystone State Pays Lots Of Cash in
and Gets Little Out.
A MILLION MORE FOR FREE NAVIGATION

1t has long been notorious fact that
Pennsylvania and Pittsburg in particular
have never received from the Government
the benefits to which they are entitled in re-
turn for the large sums of money levied for
the support. of Uncle Sans house.
hold. These taxes in the shape
of internal revenue have been col
lected annually on whisky, tobacco and
kindred articles Pittsburgers have always
been too modest. Southern fellows, with
cast-iron lungs and strong voices, have a
knack of striking Congress yearly for large
sums of Doodle to improve some mud hole
in the heart of Alabama or Georgia. They
generally get it, while the local rivermen
haven't been able after years of hard work
to secure even free navigation on the Mo-
nongahela
The trouble in the past has been due
probably to lack of organization and we'll
directed: concentrated effort When Pitts
burg coal was king, the charges for lockage
were a picayune to local operators, and
they were content to take their profits and
make few complaints.
Free Navigation Now Necessary.
But since the Kanawha region has been
opened and other Southern coal fields have
been pouring their product into the lower
markets, the competition has become so
keen as to force the rivermen to demand
free navigation. There are other needed
improvements along the rivers, including
the ship canal to Erie, that are also badly
wanted.
The Western Pennsylvania River I'm.
provement Association for the first time in
many years is making determined effort to
force the claims of Pittsburg on the atten-
tion of Congress. A circular has been is
sued by. the Executive Committee of the
association setting forth in detail what
the riverpen want this year.
and giving some interesting sta
tistics pointing out what other States have
received and Pennsylvania has not The
circular is signed by John A. Wood, Robert
G. Graham, George Finley and Arthur
Kirk. 1t is addressed to the two United
States Senators and all the Congressman in
the State. A number of them will be mailed
to each one personally for distribution.
The circular begins by saying:
We wish to call your attention to the great
injustice that has for years been inflicted on
and harbor bill by the meager appropria-
lions such bills annually contain Tor river
Inn provements in Pennsylvania.
Figures That Tell Thsir Own Story.
One column of figures shows how much
each State in the Union received by the
river and harbor bill of 1890 for river and
harbor improvements, A second points
out how much each State has paid
in internal revenue. and third
column shows what Pennsylvania
should receive if each State received
in proportion to the amount it paid in.
Taking some of the figures at random for
example, Alabama received under the last
liver and harbor bill for improvements
s649. .OOO By last report she has paid into
he internal revenue SIG, ,301, ,571. If Penn
'ylvania received in the same ratio she |
should get $13, 294,9 But the State
'nly gets the paltry sum of $562, 900.
Since the organization of the internal rev.
,nue system, Pennsylvania has paid to the |
Government 1888, 943, 492.
The circular adds that as s'the ability to |
ay out money depends on the amount of |
money paid in, we see no reason why Penn
ylvania should get so small appropriations
when she has paid in so much money"
Last year the swamp-covered State of |
Florida got S2,a4s,ooo. The entire
his sum. She has paid in S.. 342,954. In |
he same ratio Pennsylvania ought to re-
,eive S123. 59s, 943 55. This amount would |
,uild half dozen ship canals to the lakes |
south Carolina got $500, 500. At this rate |
share would be 1885,
03 o.
On q Wild Western Basis.
Texas received 1898, $50 for river improve
nents; on this basis the keystone
state is entitled to S23, 400; 502 52.
The District of Columbia got $3.50. 900,
nd in proportion Pennsylvania should re-
Give SIS. 466, ,511 SO. Michigan, Maine, Vir-
ina, West Virginia, Wisconsin, North Caro-
ina, in short, most of the States in the Union
ave received more than Pennsylvania in
for river improvements. A
ote explains that the figures have been
arefully compiled, and the calculations
made by the pupils of the Pittsburg High
chool, and the committee adds that they
re no doubt correct to fraction. The
ircular concludes thus:
We therefore urge every one of you, our |
enators and Congressmen, to insist that the
ending river and harbor bill be so amended |
s to appropriate the following appropria-
ions to be expended under the directions of
he Secretary of War:
One million dollars for sIackwatering the
hio river.
One million dollars, or as much as may be
eeded of that sum, for making the naviga-
on OF the Monongahela river free.
One million dollars for a ship canal from
ittsburg to Lake Erie
TIE above appropriations have been lony
nd earnestly asked for by many petitions |
nd we see no reason why they should not