The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-02
RIVERS AND HARB()RS
Rapid Progress on the Bill
Made By the House.
HEPBURN'S USUAL FIGHT
Texas Ship Channel Scheme
Is Cut Out.
HEPBURN'S USUAL FIGH-

Washington, D. c.. Feb. i.-hTe house
entered upon the consideration OF the river
and harbor bill today and made rapid pro-
gres. Fifty Of the lightweight pages Of
the bill had been completed when the
house adjourned. The bill appropriates di-
rectly about 81. 500, 900 and authorizes con-
tracts to the extent OF $1S,oo0, 900 additional
The general debate was unusually brief.
Its feature was a speech in opposition 10
the bill by Mr. Hepburn of Iowa, who has
fought every river and harbor bill for the
last six years.
The house Immediately after the reading
of the journal went into committee OF the
whole, Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois in the chair,
and entered upon the consideration OF the
river and harbor bill.
MR. BURTON FOR THE BILL.
Mr.. Burton CRep) of Ohio. chairman OF
the river and harbor committee. opened
the debate with a general statement of the
necessity of continuing the river and har-
Dor work.
This country, he said, was now entering
upon an era of commercial expansion. The
vast amount OF our exports, as we'll as
their excess over imports. was the marve.
of the commercial world. The greatest
factor in this expansion was the improve
ment OF our rivers and harbors in order
to cheaper the cost OF transportation. We
had expended in all $500 900 900 in river and
harbor work. The estimates upon which
this bill was based aggregated $500. 600 900.
The committee recommended a little over
$40 OOe, 900.
The bill, he said. was symmetrical as far
as it went and he begged members not
TO press amendments.
THE UPPER MISSOURI BLUFF.
Mr.. Perkins (Rep) of Iowa protested
against the refusal of the committee TO
recommend an appropriation for the i'm
provement of the upper Missouri river, ex-
cept $4,000 for snagging. He admitted
that the commerce Of the river had been
greatly reduced, owing TO railroad compe-
tition, bus urged that the existence OF the
river served as a constant check on rail-
road rates.
HEPBURN's USUAL FIGHT.
Mr.. Hepburn CRep. )of Iowa severely de-
nounced the development OF river and har-
Dor appropriation bills.
1t has been the developed practice to
concea. the grand aggregate of the appro-
priatio He was opposed TO useless ex-
penditures. He called attention TO the fact
that Ohio. the state Of the chairman OF
the committee, got s4,0OO0OO in this bill
He spoke of some Ohio gentlemen who had
gone down to Texas City and after float
ing a compress there had named for i'm
provement 50.Oo0an amount several times
in excess of the aggregate assessed value
of the whole city. In conclusion, he said,
he knew it was useless for him TO oppose
the bill. The votes to pass it had been ar
ranged and the symmetry" the gentleman
from Ohio had spoken of was the distribu-
ton which brought to this measure the
support necessary to make it a success.
The general debate closed and the bill
was read for amendment under the five
minute rule.
Mr.. Tongue CRep.) Of Oregon, speaking to
a pro forma amendment, protested against
the repeal Of the provision for Yaquina
Bay, where. he said. contracts for i'm
provement had already been made.
Mr.. Cummings DEM Of New York
made brief speech in favor of the i'm
provement of New York harbor.
SHIP CHANEL GOES OUT.
Mr.. Hepburn again attacked the Calves
ton and Buffalo Bayou ship channel.
Mr. Burton offered an amendment to the
paragraph, appropriating $3.50 900 for the
channel from Galveston 10 Texas CITY,
Tex. which provided that nothing should
be done under this paragraph until q IA
vorable report had been received from the
chief of engineers as to the feasibility of
the project.
Mr. Hawley (Rep) OF Texas offered as
a substitute for the paragraph provi-
sion for survey and estimate Of the
cost of the proposed project He COM
planned that he had been ignored in the
preparation of the bill IN view OF Mr.
statement, Mr.. Burton moved to
strike out the whole paragraph. saying as
he did so that the opposition 20 the pro-
ject might arise from friendship for Gal
weston and the Brazos river project
The latter motion prevailed and the
whole paragraph went out OF the blu
At sos D. m the house adjourned.