The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-10-03

,
lieation should only meet with professional
contempt -----.-----------
HOUSTON AND THE BAYOU WORK.
One OF the Texas weekly papers the
Angelina County Press. thinks that 80
far as Houston is concerned" the Buff
falo bayou ship channel begins and ends
In discussion" and then INDUCES In this
remarkable comment:
Houston. since the storm. is actively dis
oussint the Buffalo bayou canal. SO far as
Houston is concerned, the canal begins ana
ends IN discussion. II tho canal Will be the
benefit TO the city its citizens say II VIII the
city VIII be justified in meeting one-half II
not all the expense OF Its building. II one
Nalf the estimated expense, or $1,000 600,
should be spent by the city there Will be
little trouble in getting an appropriation from
the government for the balance as their faith
Will De shown by deeds and not By wind.
Long before the storm Houston was
actively discussing the channel improve
ment referred to and had progressed so
far as to secure the recommendation Of
the work by the board of engineers OF
the United States army and an initial
appropriation by congress The army
I
cablllty of the plan but pointed out the
National importance and necessity OF
tho Improvement.
Is 1t possible than any one OF the
weekly papers OF Texas Is ignorant OF
these facts7
The bayou ship channel 4 not simply
vague, selfish. ambitious or impracti-
work for which government surveys
have been made and which tho engl-
neering department OF the government
has approved. II Is not the improve
ment OF a creek or unnavigabie stream
that Is being sought merely that money
may be spent in this section but tho
deepening OF an arm of the sea. with
tidal flows. that is already navlgable and
constantly navigated. and whose In
provement under the army boards plans
would add to tho state OF Texas and
the gulf coast another and safe land
twelve lines OF railway radiate In every
direction.
Is 1t possible that there IA yet 10 be
found In Texas a reading man who Is
! ignorant OF the character OF Buffalo
bayou. or Of the kind and Importance
Of the work contemplated in the prem
ises?
Is It possible that any Texans are yet
ignorant OF tho fact that It Is already
busy commercial artery over which.
annually. millions Of dollars worth OF
freight for foreign export ia carried to
tho ships and wharves In Galveston bay7
Why should Houston be singled out,
of all the possible deep water ports OF
the country, to aid by her own contrlbu-
lions in carrying on the governments
harbor Improvement work? Was Calves
ton asked to put up half of the money
for building the ietties? The work at
Galveston was done by the government
because 1t was OF Interstate magnitude.
The jetties we're not built for Galveston
alone.
The continuation OF the deep water
work at Galveston to the head OF tide
water In the bayou is the logical duty
of the government, and would not be
done FOR Houston alone, but to add an.
/ other port to those OF the State and aid
in safely and expedtiously handling the
growing commerce OF the West by tho
gulf route
1t Is not a matter In which Houston
could be expected 70 nut up its own
money. even II We had the legal au-
thority to bond the city for that pur-
pose. any more than Mobile. or savan-
nah. or Galveston. could be expected to
aid financially in deepening the chan
nels leading to their wharves AS a
matter Of fact. however. Houston has
undertaken to spend thousands In con-
demning land along the banks to be used
in the Improvement within the city lin
its. and thousands more to divert the
city sewage from the bayou
1t is somewhat surprising to The Post
that Texas people do not yet under
stand the present transportation activity
on Buffalo bayou with Its more than
12-foot present average depth. or apprc-
ciate its vast possible Importance after
J comparatively little work aud expense
by the Federal government