The herald., 1897-10-19
SECRETARY ALGER'S
NEWEST DODGE


Pedro It has never required any grade
Of intellectual development to ascertain
this fact The river and harbor bill,
however, authorized Mr.. Alger to enter
into a contract. not exceeding in the ag-
gregate $2,900000, for the purpose of COM
pleting the project outlined by the board
1t is none Of Mr. Alger's business
whether congress does or does not full
| fill the contract into which it has au-
thorized him to enter. Contractors will
trust congress in this case, as they do
every year with reference to improve
ments from Maine to California. While
l have. several times, explained the two
systems under which congress acts in
river and harbor work, I will, at the risk
of repetition, go over the matter again.
when a river and harbor bill is
framed those who seek appropriations
are compelled to ask for a specific sum
for two fiscal years, in which event there
is no contractural obligation on the part
of the government, to incur any further
expense, and the work may be aban-
doned when the appropriation is ex
hausted. In the second case is found the
continuing contract system. In in
stances. OF this sort the government au
thorizes the making of contracts for the
expenditure of limited sum under con-
tracts made after the reception of bids
Here 1t Is usual, but not essential to make
email direct appropriation. which is
customArily expended for preliminary
work.
I'm the San Pedro case $50, 900 was ap-
propriated to cover the expenses of the
locating board. Some instances from
the current river and harbor bill may be
interesting. There was appropriated for
the harbor of Portland, Me-, $40, ,000 and
Mr.. Alger was authorized to enter into
contract, not exceeding $4,000, for
which latter sum no appropriation was
made. will mention few contracts
into which the secretary was authorized
to enter. in excess of appropriations
made: Boston, over $1.100,000; Buffalo,
over $2,000,000; Dunkirk, N. Y, about
$400, 900; Gowanus canal, N. Y, over
$500, 900; Delaware bay, over $4,650,0 600;
Savannah, 81, 600. 900; Cumberland Sound,
Ca, $2.345,000; Sabine Pass, Texas, ST.
000,0 900; Cleveland. O., over 81, 300 900; Du-
luth, over $3,000,000; our own Oakland.
$3.50, 900; Yaquina bay, Ore, 100000
Gray's Harbor, Wash, over 5000, 900;
Providence river r. l., over 100000;
Monongahela river, w. Va, $1,200,00O;
Cumberland river, Tenn, over 100000;
Falls Of Ohio river, nearly 100000, and
other contracts were authorized with
reference to the Ohio river requiring the
expenditure Of nearly 81, ,0O0, 900 addition
al for which no appropriation was
| made; Chicago river, over $600,000; i'm
proving Mississippi river from the Mis-
souri, to the Ohio, over S., ,00O, 900.
| These figures are sufficient without
running through the enire bill, to show
that congress does not in advance ap-
propriate money to complete river OF
harbor improvements where contract
is authorized. The continuing contract
system is that upon which every repre-
sentative who knows his bus
| irsess relies. The last river and har-
Dor bill only appropriated about $12.-
100000, but it authorized continuing con
tracts amounting to over $50, 900, 900
more. The government never defaults
upon these contracts. When the secre-
tary Of war acts the matter is taken for
ever from the river and harbor bill and
goes into the sundry civil BILL in COM
mon with other governmental expendi-
lures. A congress lasts but two years;
an important river or harbor contract
frequently extends over many years,
and appropriations are made from time
to time to meet exigences think that
all Of the continuing contracts author
lied by the river and, larbor bill have
been advertised.
"When Secretary Alger, in response to
the resolution which introduced in the
senate, asked for instructions as to the
wish Of congress, he did not express any
doubt with regard to the financial ability
Of the government to meet any obliga-
tion into which he might enter. When he
asked Attorney General McKenna for
his opinion, he did not allude to alleged
difficulty, nor did he men ton it when he
wrote to me last week to the effect tha;
the engineer corps representatives upon
this coast had been instructed to pre-
pare plans for the harbor Nor do
think that Secretary Alger has been 50
| unmindful Of his duty as to question the
good faith of the government which has
authorized him to go on with this work
Nor Gao believe that his feelings are so
antagonistic to the interests of This
community that he feels it necessary to
discourage bidding upon this particular
contract, which is provided for in the
chronic phraseology of river and harbof
| bills. There is nothing unusual about
| this contract. There is nothing urcom-
mon in the absence of an appropriation
clause.
Il have, I think, shown that there is
no instance of the making of an appro.
| priation in river and harbor bill cover
| ing any such extensive work, nor is there
any Instance of the reputation by the
government of such contract when
entered into. Let Mr. Alger advertise;
| the bidders will be on hand; they will
| trust the government and will not ask
| him for a guarantee"
A WILL CONTEST