The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-09
RIVER AND HARBOR BILL UP.
Debate In the House on Measure
Carrying $50, 100000.


| Carrying S6O,0OO.OOO.
| When the House net at noon today. Mr.
Loud Chairman of the Committee on Post
| Offices and Post Roads. asked unanimous
| consent for the immediate consideration
| Of bill authorizing the Postmaster Cen
eraI to rent suitable quarters for the ac-
commodation Of the rural free delivery
service
Mr. Richardson Of Tennessee asked II it
! had been demonstrated that the new Post
Office Building does not furnish enough
| room FIR the needs Of the department
Mr.. Loud answered that unfortunately.
such is the case. It was contemplated
Mr.. LOui said. to rent one floor in a build
ing near the General Postoffice.
Mr. Moody asked how urgent was the
/ necessity for the immediate passage Of the
bill Mr. Loud said the clerks we're over
crowded The bill was passed The annual
reHtal provided for in the bill is 81 900.
At I2-l5 MIR Burton called up for con-
sideration House bill 1888, being the
River and Harbor Appropriation bill
Mr. Corliss Of Michigan announced his
opposition to the bill, IN view of the fact
that Mr.. Burton had stated that the bill
would not be opposed by any member CT
the committee
q wac HA3Etotfu Ds MI burton tEdL
general debate close in three hours Mr.
Cushman would not agree to this 1t was
too brief time to consider a bill carry
ing $50, 00G, coo. No agreement as to limit
Of debate was reached. The House at
1920 went into Committee Of the Whole
with Mr. Hopkins in the chair. and the
first reading Of the bill was dispensed
with
Mr. Cushman asked unanimous consent
that Mr.. Corliss control the time for the
opposition. Mr. McRae objected.
Ar- Burton then proceeded with the ex-
PLANTATION of the provisions Of the bill. In
creased transportation facilities ne said
must go hand in hand with increased pro-
duCtion II now cost less 70 carry busheI
Of wheat from ST. Paul to Liverpool. a
distance Of 1881 statute miles. than it did
in the days Of Themistocles to carry a
bushel Of wheat from Athens to Marathon
q distance of twenty miles Mr. Burton
urged that the expenditures called for il
the bill were demanded BY the spirit OF
the age and the necessities of industry.
The amount appropriated for expenditures
during the fiscal year ending June so. 1862,
is S22,192, 80. Authority is also given
for mourning obligations for the proseeu-
ton or completion OF river and harbor
no. KS under the so-caIled continuing con-
tract system. The amount Of these obi
cations authorized By the bill is So. I42,-
bill is therefore $50. 935. 1852
Mr.. EIrton discIained that an undue
percentage Of the amount carried in the
bin was apportioned to ports on the
Great Lakes. He gave statistics to show
that the ports of greatest tonnage in the
United States are New York. Philadel-
phia, Chicago, Buffalo. Baltimore. CIeve-
land. and Duluth. He admitted the i'm
portaEee OF the value Of cargoes. but the
question Of the most Importance was
tonnage, for this determined the number
CT ships passing in and out of the har-
bors and the draft of these craft Then,
II must be borne in mind, said Mr. Bur
ton, thar natural harbors are numerous
on The Atlantic Coast and few on the
lakes The traffic passing the Detroit
River vas greater than that passing
through any other river IN the world
3ir &onGeu followed Mr. Burton On
tine yielded by Mr.. Tongue and made a
strong argument In faYer of storage res
ervoirs al the headwater Of the MIssis-
sippi River.