The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-03-23
WORK At
SAN PEDRO
DISTRACTED
The Appropriation Is
Evidently Again
in Danger.
Coils P. Huntington's Fine
Hand Manifest at
the Capital.
Sub Of the Senate
Shows Disposition to Hold
Up the Matter.
Declares There Will Be a Hot Fight
if the House Provision Is
Stricken Out
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House,

Washington, March o.
The appropriation for San Pedro
harbor is in danger again. 1t appears
that c. p. Huntington when here a
week ago got in some fine work on the
Senate side, and now it transpires that
the Appropriations Committee of that
body is disinclned to include in the
sundry civil bill the appropriation as
passed by the House. The matter has
not yet been considered by the full Sen
ate committee of eleven members but
it seems that the sub committee, con-
sisting of Senators Allison, Hale, Quay,
German and Cockerell is heSitating
and is in correspondence with Secretary
Alger about the matter.
Senator Perkins heard to-day that
the subcommittee was inclined to
strike out the San Pedro item. He
went to the individual members of the
committee and protested vigorously
against such action, especially in the
absence of Senator White, who is par
ticularly interested in the harbor pro-
ject.
The excuse of the subcommittee
for the action is that a harbor of ref
uge and commerce cannot be con-
structed for the amount fixed as the
limit of cost. Senator Perkins told the
committee plainly that if the appropri-
alton was not included he would be
compelled to make fight on the floor
of the Senate and would explain to
that body that the Secretary of War
had already advertised for contracts
and that bids showed that Heldemeier
& New of Chicago were the lowest bid
derS and that there was no reason why
the contract should not be awarded
and the money appropriated to begin
the work in accordance with the
statute.
1t is probable that the California del
egation having failed in the effort to
induce the Appropriations Committee
to provide for the Improvement of the
Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers in
the sundry civil bill, will abandon their
efforts to authorize the work to be COM
menced under the appropriation made
by the State of California. The Leg
islature appropriated a half-million dol
lars to be available when Congress
should provide a like amount, and at
first the delegation decided to try to Sc
cure q provision authorizing this money
to be expended by the Government en-
gineers. But Senator Perkins has con-
cluded that it would be much better to
wait until next session, when Congress
may appropriate a sum equal to the
appropriation by the California LegiS-
lature. He believes that the Controller
of California might refuse to allow the
money furnished by the State to be ex-
pended until Congress appropriated it's
share.
"At any rate said he to The Call
correspondent tonight, when the Leg
islature appropriated the none it did
so with the expectation that Congress
would provide an equal amount, and it
would be taking an unfair advantage
of the State to spend its money when
Congress has not made any appropria-
ton. 1 do not believe the people of CAL
ifornia would sanction this"