The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-30
Cleveland's Opinion of the River
and Harbor Bill.
VETO SENT TO CONGRESS
Objectionable Features OF the
Bill Pointed Out.
NEAR sso,ooo,ooo APPROPRIATED
There are AIT items of Appropriation
in the Bill and It's Extravaganza
Is Unsuited to These
ines.


dent to-day sent to Congress his veto
of the River and Harbor Appropra
ton bill. He says:
There are four hundred and seven
teen items OF appropriation contained
in this bill and every part of the
country is represented in the distribu-
tion of its favors. 1t directly appro-
PIRATES or provides for the immediate
expenditure of nearly fourteen mil
lions of dollars for river and harbor
work. This sum is, in addition to ap-
propriations contained in another bill
for similar purposes, amounting to a
little more than three millions of dol
lars, which have already been favor
ably considered at the present session
of Congress. The result is that the
contemplated immediate eXpnditures
| for the objects mentioned amount to
about seventeen Millions Of dollars.
A more startling feature of this bill
| is its authorization of contracts for
river and harbor work amounting to
| more than sixty-two millions OF dol
| lars. Though the payments on these
contracts are in most cases so distri-
buted that they are to be met by flu
ture appropriations, more than three
millions of dollars on their account
are included in the direct appropria-
tions above mentioned. OF the remain
der nearly twenty millions of dollars
will fall due during the financial year
ending June 30. 1898. and amounts
| somewhat less in the years immediate
| ly succeeding. A few contracts of a
| like character, authorized under pre-
| vious statutes, are still outstanding
| and to meet payments on these more
| than four millions of dollars must be
| appropriated in the immediate future.
| If, therefore, this bill becomes a
| law, the obligations which will be inn
posed on the government, together
| with the appropriations and for inn
mediate expenditure on account of
| rivers and harbors, will amount to
| about eighty millions of dollars. Nor
is this ALL The bill directs numerous
surveys and examinations which con-
| template new work and further con-
tracts and which portend largely in
creased expenditures and obligations
| There is no ground to hope that,
| in the fact of persistent and growing
demands, the aggregate of appropria-
| tions for the smaller schemes, not
covered by contract, will be reduced
or even remain stationary. For the
| fiscal year ending June 30, 1898, such
appropriations, together with the in
stalments on contracts which will fall
due in that year, can hardly be less
| than thirty millions of dollars; and it
| may reasonably be apprehended that
| the prevalent tendency towards in
| creased expenditures of this sort and
| the concealment which postponed
payments afford for extravaganza, will
| increase the burdens chargeable to
this account in succeeding years.
In view of the obligations imposed
| upon me by the Constitution it seems
to me quite clear that | only discharge
a duty to our people when | interpose
my disapproyal of the Legislation pro-
| posed.
Many of the objects for which it
appropriates public money are not re-
| lated to the public welfare. and many
of them are palpably for the benefit
of limited localities or in aid of in
dividual interests.
On the face of the bill it appears
that not few of these alleged inn
provements have been so improvidently
planned and prosecuted that, after an
unwise expenditure of millions of dol
lars, new experiments for their ac-
complishment have been entered upon.
While those entrusted with manage
ment of public funds in the interest
of all the people can hardly justify
questionable expenditures for public
works by pleading the opinions of
engineers or others as to the practi-
cability OF such work, it appears that
| some of the projects for which appro-
priations are proposed in this bill,
have been entered upon without the
approval or against the objections of
| the examining engineers.
/ learn from official sources that
there are appropriations contained in
the bill to pay for work which pri-
vate parties have actually agreed with
the government to do, in consideration
of their occupancy of public property
Whatever items of doubtful proprie-
ty may have escaped observation or
may have been tolerated in previous
executive approvals of similar bills, I
am convinced that the bill now under
consideration opens the way to insid-
ious and increasing abuses, and is in
itself SO extravagant as to be especial
ly unsuited to these times of depressed
business and resulting disappointment
in government revenue. This consid-
GRAFTON is emphasized by the prospect
that the public Treasury will be con-
fronted with other appropriations
made at the present session of Con-
gress amounting to more than five
hundred millions of dollars.
individual economy and careful
expenditure are sterling virtues which
lead to thrift and comfort.
To the extent that appropriations
contained in this bill are instigated
by private interests and promote local