The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-11
RIVER And HARBOR BILL.
Chance None Will Be Passed By
This Congress.
WILL INVOLVE A SAVING OF TWEEN.
TY TO THIRTY MILLIONS.

Major Hoxie's Report ON the Union River
survey-Ouarter Million Dollars Re.
quirea fer improvements Asked For.
Maine Members All In Washington
Except MIR. Buriegh.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.J
Washington. December cit is quite
probable that there will be no river and
harbor bill at this session of Congress
1t is the usual thing to have one bill
OF this kind at each long session of
Congress, and it was assumed that there
would be such bill by Speaker Reed and
others in best position to know. But
since the session. has opened many mem
bers have come to the Speaker with the
advice that 1t would be better to have no
bill at all. They represent that the rev.
enues OF the government are not yet
sufhcient to meet the ordinary running
expenses, that this session the policy of
economy ought to. be continued, and that
the sentiment of the House, SO far as they
have seen, is against bill. If this turns
out to be SO, it is quite probable that the
river and harbor committee will report
no bill, and the treasury will be SO much
the better on. AS ten million dollars
would probably be the least figure of
bill, and as 1t would be more likely to
run up into twenty or thirty millions, the
saving will be very material if the senti-
ment of the House shall be discovered to
be in favor Of economy. The failure Of
a bill, however, would not mean that
there will be no appropriations for rivers
and harbors this session. The river and
harbor act of last year provided for con-
tinuing contracts lasting over term of
years. These contracts have been entered
into and Congress will make the pay
ments on them as they proceed through
the appropriations committee, without
regard to what the river and harbor com
mittee may do. The work on Portland
harbor was thus authorized last year, and
when the sundry civil bill is made up
later in this session an amount for the
continuation of that work will I'M
doubtedly be included. So, SO far as the
work of the harbor is concerned, the fail
ure of river and harbor bill will not in
terfere with Portland.
The Secretary OF War has transmitted
to Congress the report of Major Hoxie
upon the survey of Union River, Maine.
Major Hoxie says that the preliminary
under his predecessor. 1t appears that
the sum of 1925. 600 is required for chan
mel through the bar at tho mouth of this
river one hundred feet in width and six
feet deep at low tide, and through tho
narrows below Ellsworth, increasing to
$50 feet in width in front of the wharves
at Ellsworth. The estimate includes the
construction of jetty and training wall,
the latter to be marked with three rough
stone beacons, built to the height of six
feet above mean high water, to preserve
the channel over the bar after the dredg-
ing is completed. This project having
been presented to Congress prior to tho
recent appropriation of Is, 900 in the river
and harbor act of June g. 1896, must be
considered the approved project for the
improvement of Union River, although
the appropriation of Is. 900 dollars is to be
extended in dredging under the terms of
the act The contraction works at the
mouth of the river will probably main
tain the channel at that point, but the
annual cost of maintenance of the chan
mel through the narrows and in front of
Ellsworth cannot be estimated. For
the economical prosecution of this work,
it is necessary that sufficient appropri-
alton should be made to justify the en-
ployment of suitable plant for doing
she work expeditiously and economically.
In this connection 1t is proper to invite
attention to the necessity for further leg
islation to prevent the deposit of mill
waste and other refuse in rivers. The
improvement of all rivers upon the coast
of Maine is more or less interfered with
by the practice of throwing mill refuse
into them, and while there has been
change for the better in this respect the
practice continues.
ALI the Maine delegation of the House
are here excepting Congressman Bur-
leigh. Mr. Burleigh came at the first of
the session with the other members, and
was present at the organization and dur
ing the day following. He was then
called back to Augusta by business en-
gagements which will result in his abb
sence from Washington for several days.
WAKEFULNESS IN SLEEP.