The record-union., 1896-01-28
TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS.
Appropriation for The RVer Improvement
Delegation.
Trustee Mckay Thinks Nothing Has
Been Done, and Kent Wants
New Deal

As the meeting of the Board of
City Trustees last night Trustee Tozer,
for the Auditing Committee, moved
that $500 be appropriated for the pay
ment of expenses of the River Inn
provement delegation to Washington.
Pennish thought the county would do
nate $500 to pay the delegates ex-
penses, and he did not believe he should
have enough appropriated in order that
he could make money out of it. He
should oppose the appropriation.
Mckay said the delegation had never
accomplished anything, and he should
therefore oppose it.
W. D. LaWton, who was a member OF
the River Improvement Association,
addressed the board, pointing out clear
ly and forcibly the good to be gained by
sending a delegation to urge Congress
for an appropriation. The States in the
Mississippi Valley, he said, keep a dele
cation of forty or fifty persons at Wash
ington to lobby for appropriations and
secure millions of dollars for them every
year. It is done by having men on the
spot to work for them.
The papers of to-day, he said, had
pcinted out the danger of the river
making a new bed for itself and leav-
ing the city high and dry. The only
way to prevent this is for the Govern
ment to act and take charge Of the
preservation of the river Our Repre-
sentatives have all they can possibly
attend to in other directions, and there
should be some one sent especially to
urge the necessary appropriation.
eve should request our Representa-
tives to resign then said Devine, "and
send some new ones in their place. /
am opposed to Iobbies. They have been
the curse of the country, and l do not
want to assist in maintaining one. Let
our Representatives tell Congress what
they want and insist on having it. !"
II think the Executive Committee
should make another grab in the bag, !"
said Kent, land draw out a lot of new
names to send. Let us have some new
men and accomplish something"
Yes" said Mckay, 1.-The old ones
have never accomplished anything"
H Weinstock said he agreed with
Devine on the lobby question on general
principles, but the Mississippi Valley
people keep one at Washington and
get what they want, and we cannot
afford to sit down and wait without
action. Others will have lobbies if we
do not. 1t is very hard to get hearing
before Congress. Our Representatives
time is taken up in a thousand ways
and they cannot pay strict attention
to this matter and need help. We cam
not obtain what We want by sitting
down idly, but must help ourselves. II
we do not we will get nothing.
IL
taken in saying that the former dele
cations had accomplished nothing.
They had, as a matter of fact, secured
a great deal. They have secured
larger appropriations than were ever
before made, but they are not yet as
much as is needed. What is wanted is
&c place the river under contract so
that it can be properly improved
without any limit being placed on the
amount expended. Representative
Grove L. Johnson's bill, now before
Congress, is in this direction.
While the River Improvement Con-
vention was in session, a telegram was
sent to Mr. johnson asking if it would
be desirable to send a delegation East
to urge the matter on Congress. Mr..
Johnson consulted the other Represent
atfves and telegraphed back that they
were unanimous in the opinion that it
was highly important that such dele
cation should be sent to work for the
passage of the bill and for appropria-
tions for improving the river.
Mr.. Weinstock said he should be very
sorry If the board refused to make the
appropriation as 1t would damage our
cause materially The appropriation
was made by a. vote Of to 3, Mckay.
Kent and Pennish voting no.