The morning call., 1892-03-22
RIVERS AND HiRB0RS.
Amounts Agreed Upon for Pacific Coast
and Other improvements.

WASHINGTON, March 21.-The House
Committee on Rivers and Harbors to-day
completed the consideration of the regular
river and haTbOr appropriation bill. 1t ap-
propriates $40, 100000 nearly S4,O00O0O less
than the amount of the bill which became
law in the last Congress. The greatest
feature Is the extent TO which the committee
enlarges the policy adopted in the last Con-
gresS OF placing some of the most important t
projects under the contract system, by
means of which work can be undertaken
with the amount appropriated for the year
covered by the bill ana contracts entered
into for the completion Of the work and of
its continuance without serious Interrupt
ton, as has sometimes happened when the
continuance of the work was entirely de-
pendent on the river and harbOr appTopria-
tiOnS OF each Congress. This year the
committee authorizes additional contracts
entered into aggregating $50. 151 900.
y! this amount the Mississippi River gets
Sl6,OO0,O00, the great lakes S3,350,O0O,
Columbia River. Oregon, S1,700 600, tue
Hudson River. New York, s., 446, coo. and
the remainder goes to some of the Atlantic
coast cities. OF the Mississippi apprOpria-
ton, 100000 is to be expended from the
mouth Of The Ohio TO The mouth of the Mis-
souri,, and SS00,G00 from the mouth of the
Missouri To ST. Paul. The remainder is Tor
the river south of the Ohio. In the great
lakes project, 100000 is appropriated for a
ship channel 20 to u feet deep and 800 feet
wide In the Swallows of the connecting
waters between the great lakes.
In the cases of the several improvements
put under the contract system. the bill pro-
vides that the Secretary of War may enter
into contracts 10 complete the present
projected improvements. to be paid for as
the appropriations may be made, the aggre-
gate cost not to exceed the cost heretofore
named as the limit of the cost Cf the COM
pietion of the improvements. For these
projects there is directly appropriated in
the bill specific amounts.
Apportionmeut Made.
Among the appropriations in the bill
above $4,000 are the following: CaIiiOr-
nia-Humbodt harbor and bay $500, ,0OO
Oakland $780, 900. Wilmington $4,000, San
Diego $4,000. San Luis Obspo S30.000
The committee did not make any pr0vi-
sion for restraining works for the debris
in the Sacramento or San Joaquin rivers.
Representative Camiretti says he was
promised that $4,000 would be used for
restriction works above Marysville, but the
committee. according to Mr. Hermann,
thought that all that could be undertaken
at this time would be the removing of the
distinctions IN the rivers. The 100000
appropriated for Humboldt harbOr will be
used for the completion OF the work
New projects will not be undertaken. The
amount appropriated for Humboldt Mr.
Hermann considered very liberal. He said
that Representative Caminetu had COM
planned TO the River and Harbor Committee
that heretofore it had Disseminated in favor
OF Oakland harbor. The money for San
Pedro will be expended on the inside work
and at San Diego in deepening the inside
channel
Capital Notes.
The offers OF silver TO the Treasury De-
partment aggregated 92l. 900 ounces The
amount purchased was 605,0O0 ounces at
1887 10 .S9S4
AT meeting of the Interstate Commerce
Commission William X. Morrison was
elected chairman to fill the vacancy made
by Judge COOley's resignation.
The Senate to-day confirmed the nomina-
tion of Hon. c. III. Aldrich of Illinois TO be
S0licitor-General Of the Treasury.
The State Department officials say that
there is no truth in the report that the
United States has established On alliance
with the Argentine Confederation, and that
the courtesies being exchanged with d.
miral Walkers fleet at BueDos Ayres have
no significance,