Evening journal., 1898-09-02
MORRISON'S REPORT
To the Board of Trade Re-
gardiHg the Harbor Bill.
EFFORTS TO SECURE ITS PASSAGE
CHIEF ENGINEER AT WASHING
TON AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS
FROM THE WAR DEPARTMENT
TO ADVERTISE Ds-ELECTRI-
CLANS NEXT YEAR.

AutA4NO NEAl EAR.
Alvin r. Morrison. who was appoint
ed a representative to press the neces-
sity OF a harbor appropriation for Will
mington, and who appeared before the
Navigation Committee OF Congress
submitted a report of hie efforts in the
matter to the Board OF Trade last even
ing.
lie reviewed his work from begin
ming to end and had the satisfaction OF
announcing that General William f,
Smith. United States engineer in this
city, would soon ask for bids for the
dredging and other incidental work in
Wilmington harbor,
When Mr., Morrison's efforts TO Sc
cure thls Improvement are fully known
to the residents of this city the ad-
mirable results achieved by him will be
fully appreciated.
The following is the text of his re-
port:
To the Honorable President and Mem
bers Of the Wilmington Board OF
/
Trade.
Gentlemen: In response TO letter
from General John II. Wilson, chief OF
engineers, to your board, dated Octo-
Der 9, 1897 your honorable body ap-
pointed the writer a committee OF one,
on December 2, 1897. TO act promptly
and as the committee thought best, to
efficiently procure an appropriation for
~ a hn uf "A
river and Wilmington harbor. In
compliance Herewith your committed
visited Washington on several occa-
sions and consulted with members of
' Congress- and with the influence of
Hon L. Irving Handy an appointment
wac made with the River and Harbor
. Committee Of the House Of Represen-
, tatives to meet the citizens Of VIII
mington on February %, at 10 a. m.
TO discuss the matter. A delegation OF
about fifty prominent citizens OF your
= city, including the mayor and City
? Council, went to the Capitol az the
4 hour appointed for the conference, but
|, were informed that the meeting had
3 been postponed until o'clock p. M, at
r which hour they again presented them
! selves at the room Of the River and
/. Harbor Committee. only to be informed
e that they would not be accorded .
l. hearing that day. Your committee was
e. subsequently Informed that therewould
J. be no River and Harbor bill passed by
l. the then existing Congress. Acting
= upon this information, Senators Gray
s and Kenney and Congressman Handy
were requested and did use every en-
- deavor to have an appropriation made
}. by an amendment to the Sundry Civi
l. bill, which was in the Senate. with the
T. result that on April Z, 1898, Senator
i Kenney wired your committee an ap
l. preparation for the Christiana river haI
?. been adopted $205,s56 being th'
ID amount OF the appropriation On thu
n, return Of the bill to the House, thu
te amendment had hard struggle. but
n thanks to the wide personal influence
<. OF Senator Gray, and the aggressive
to interest and constant watchfulness o
II, Congressman Handy, It was hnall,
c. passed by large majority vote. sool
after July I, 1898, General William
- Smith, Of this city, was notified OF tn
D. appropriation and he submitted thre
d. propositions to the chief OF engineers
j. one Of which was approved on July IA
's, This was as follows To continue tn
C. project by using the money availabl
IS TO dredge a channel sixteen feet dee
m at low tide and 150 feet wide, from tn
n sixteen-feet curve in the Delawar
nn river to the Pulp Mills, and the re
es moval Of about / $40 cubic yards q
It. rock near Third street bridge. Tn
A. subject wac submitted on that day b
L. the chief of engineers to the centrolle
OF the Treasury for a decision as TO tn
in availability Of the funds already apprc
les prlated for this work, under the rulin
ie- Of the Judge advocate general in th
n case Of Oakland harbor. dated Febrt
airy 4, 1897. On August 2. 1898, Asss
or ant Controller Merritt rendered a wri
ls: ten opinion that the money was nS
70: available. as Il wac insufficient to con
g. plete the project approved by tn
10; Board OF Engineers for a twenty-or
* foot channel On August 6 your con
ne. mittee called upon Senator Gray
o. reference to the matter and on the 81
is OF August, Mr.. Gray went to Washing
10; ton in the interest Of the improvement
On the following day your commits
again called upon the senator. He the
stated his determination to call upc
the controller OF the Treasury and e.
plain the intention Of Congress in maj
Lf ing the appropriation. On August
after this second visit OF Senator Gri
to Washington, Controller Tracew'
reversed the decision Of the assista
lch controller and decided that the mon'
ar, is available. as It was appropriated
ght continue the improvement and not
complete IT, On August 26, Gener
~ William r. Smith was notified OF IN
fact by the chief Of engineers, and
ana August 20 he submitted specifcatio
ner for the work to the chief OF enginee
the for approval On August 30 the chi
on Of engineers asked permission OF I
secretary Of war to advertise for pI
'1 posals, which permission will doubtle
anu be granted in the next day or tV
lns Thirty days notice for the reception
proposals is required by law The 4
uh- provements to the Christiana river
ace gun in 1886. and from that year un
ere. June 80. 1896. s366.027S1 has be
spent, of which $3.50. .171.S2 has been
I" propriated since 1891. Your commit
spe- regrets that the present appropriate