Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-03
J. OVER TAE |:::
& y
House Passes the River and
llarbor Bill, 220 to 60.
The Commute, Asserts that President
Cleveland Is All at Sea
In CHARGES Of Extravagancc and Disregard Of
Public Welfare.

washington, June I'm the House
IN, renort of the committee on rivers
ard harbors recommending the passage
~ the river and harbor appropriation
hin the objection Of the President
Notwithstanding was presenter ~
Hooker. Rep. OF New York, chairman
and read. .,- -.
The report states that the Az items
Of appropriations contained In the Dill
all except q are for projects cohtaiheu
in bills which have heretofore become
laws. and which have been for years
in the process of construction py the
government. No new projects were
added TO the bill of 1894. 1t VIII thus
be seen. the report states, That the
principal work of the committee mas
been the investigation and examination
Of the improvements to which Con-
gress has repeatedly committed Itself
rh. river and harbor bill of 1890, APP
propriated $25, 900. and placed GER
tain works under the contract system
which involved an additional expendi-
ture of sl5,00c.o0o. IT appears that by
far the greatest number of projects APP
propriated for in this bill were appro-
priated for in the bill of 1890 and are
not-yet completed.
The report explains that the bin was
referred To Gen Casey. then chief of
United States engineers, who reported
10 President Harrison that only eight
items seemed to be of limited or local
benefit The gross amount appropri-
aicd for these items was $32.Oo0. From
this IL viii be seen, the report contin-
ues that the larger part OF the projects
contained in the present bill passed
scrutiny and received the approval OF
General Casey. and have gone unehal-
lenged until now. The bills of 1880 and
1892 were approved by President Har-
rison and the bill OF 1894 was permit
ted By the present Executive to become
a law by limitation.
The committee impeaches the Presi-
dents declaration that many objects
for which money is appropriated are
not related to the public welfare. They
assert that the bill was carefully pre-
pared. after exhaustive hearings, and
that they scrupulously avoided making
appropriations not in the interest of
commerce.
Referring TO the Presidents criticism
that not "A few of the improvements had
been 50 iinprovidently planned and prose-
cuted that after an unwiSe expenditure of
millions of dollars. new experiments for
their accomplishment had been entered
upon. The committee says that ii often
occurred after project had been adopted
in accordance with certain defined plans,
submitted by engineers. that the interests
of commerce required q greater and moro
effective Improvement than that first con-
tempiated should he made
In such cases it has long been the GUS
tom of Congress to order from time 10
time new estimates TO be made, with a
view to charging the scope of these pro-
jects. In making Appropriation for tneSe
enlarged projects the bill has often di-
rected that the money appropriated
should be expended in accordance with
the notifications OF the engineers.
The committee believe that the Presi-
dent may have inferred from the Ian
Guage used that the original plans
were improvident and ill-advised and
that the money WAS wasted, when the
money expended upon the original plans
was judiciously expended and would have
been expended even II the modified plans
were originally adopted. Instance of
these notifications is found in the case
of the harbors at Baltimore. Portland,
New York Wilmington, Delaware.
Savannah and other places.
a careful re-examinat ton OF the bill
warrants the committee in asserting that
there is no foundation for the President :
statement that the bill carries appropria-
tons for work which private parties have
actually agreed to do in consideration of
their occupancy of public property.
Referring to the Presidents further
criticism that the bill contemplatcs an
81 900, 40. including $3.oe0 900 carried in the
sundry civil appropriation bills for con-
tract work, the committee asserts that
the President is in error. and that only
Sl226i.W 40 is to be expended during the
two Iiscal years ending June olS9s. The
statement * also made that the bill does
not appropriate S62.e@o0o for contract
work. but only S5a.6le,o0p.
1t is shown that if all the contracts
authorized by the bill are promptly en-
tered INTO by the secretary of war the
maximum amount that can be expended
in any one year is Sl6,6l2.eD, and not
s2n. on.ooo as the President asserts.
Passing to the Presidents accusa
tiou of extravaganza. the committee
shows that the average appropriations
for the past six years have been sl6.-
400, 900 a year. while including the pres
ent bill and two others for the remain
der of this century. the total amount
for these six years will only average
Sl3,o00,0o0 a year. This is based partly
upon the ground that the committees
experience with the contract system in
the past. together with other knowl-
edge, justities the belief that the CON
tract work which will be distributed
over period of six years and which
ii is estimated will be COM
pleted for at least so per cent. less than
the amount stated or in other words.
for s42. 900 900.
The report repeatedly emphasizes the
committees approval of the contract
system as being less expensive to the
government and securing more prompt
and satisfactory results. This system
is distinctive feature of the bill and
the committee strongly recommend it's
continuation.
The report adds that no good reason
has been assigned by the President
why the House should recede from it's