New-York tribune., 1901-03-31
FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS.
NEW SCHEMES OF IMPROVEMENTS DIS
CUSSED.
BELIEF THAT BIG SUMS MAY BE SAVED BY
THE GOVERNMENT AND BETTER
RESULTS SECURED
LBy TELEGRAPH TO THE TR1BUNE.l

$50 100000 River and Harbor bill which failed or
passage in the last Congress that at least half Of
that proposed appropriation either wasteful or
a deliberate steal. Since the adjournment of Con-
gress discussion to the advisability of adopting
some other scheme of river and harbor improve
ment than the one now employed has been revived
The failure Of the bill this year is serious matter
10 many important and desirable works now IN
progress of construction For where work Is
stopped jetties and dredges are taken away
from channels the sea not only holds its own, but
soon overcomes the partial progress made and ADDS
still greater expense TO the final cost OF tne I'M
provements Besides this actual loss, which can
be easily estimated there is also the hypotheucal
loss occasioned by the delay in deepening the Ndri-
our channels TO the harbors. In the defeat OF the
River and arbor bill the proposition to put all the
public works of the country into the hands OF
board Of five army engineers appointed ny uttdI
from the corps by succeeding chiefs was Killed
Such board would unquestiorably become 'alu-
able institution if it made up of army navy
and civil engineers and not exclusively of engineers
Of the army. a board of the character sugees,eu
and composed of engineers Of national repu'alio"
would be far more independent Of Congressman m
fuence than any body dependent on congress io'
emouments and promotions.
WHAT THE NEW PLAN PROPOSES
The scheme Of river and harbor improvements
which meets with the most favor is one WhtcIi Pi0
oses to divide the United States into drainage dlS
trcts with civil engineer of ability and repu'a-
ton in permanent charge of each BASIN. Inc en-
charge of all the basins NOulu N'ii0N'NNN0
a national board of construction or consultation
This was fairly well blocked out in plan pro-
posed by Senator Culom some time ago but whlch
seems TO have support or influence IN congress,
There is no question to the value Of river ana
harbor improvements to the country at large I'M
movement of the principal harbors the coast Is
Of course a necessity. The Improvement OF the
smaller harbors and rivers in the interior has heeh
the cause of great commercial development The
failure to provide for the legitimate enterprises
IN tba Jef1 really works serious
disadvantage to American commerce. 1t Is estl-
mated. for instance that by increasing the depth
Of the channel at the mouth of the Mississippi
from twenty-five thirty-fve feet the saving TO
the producers in increasing cheapness of ocean
freights would be over 100000 year, or more
than the total appropriation for securing such
channel.
The failure to act on the proposed canal from
the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic coHpeIs
continuance Of the two hundred mile haul around
the capes which is done at annual loss OF
100000, based the present tonnage. The open
ing Of such a canal would double the business at
once, and the cost OF carrying freight from Chesa-
peake Bay to New England would be greatly
duced. Domestic tonnage is the basis of foreign
tonnage and is over 70 per cent Of the entire
merce of this country. This domestic commerce
comes from the smaller streams. creeks and coves,
and is hauled in scows. schooners and small ves-
sells. and the small channels in which they operate
must be kept open feeders to the great high
ways of commerce. hence the value OF the numer-
ments
AN ENGINEERS SUGGESTION.
One well known engineer suggests that the best
plan IS to confne government attention to sea-
ports and trunk lines and local authorities
dertake the original development OF interior and
subordinate points their possibilities realized
and afterward engraft them upon the general
system. as were the Sault Ste Marie. the Mononga-
hela and other improvements. This engineer says
that at present no community. company or citizen
can take any steps looking to the development OF
commerce unless permission is first secured from
Congress and that every effort TO such per
mission is regarded by the corps of army engineers
as a trespass their privileges and is opposed
by them. As instance OF the ineficIency OF the
government engineers. he cites the work now in
progress in the Delaware River. The government
has been working this river since 1855 to secure
a twenty-six foot channel to the On one shoal
where the ruling depth is twenty feet and which
was dredged to twenty-six feet. the official depth
IN the last report Is said to be sixteen and a half
feet. This is due to the fact that the army engi-
neers have been dredging the mud from the bottom
of the river in one place and putting It back at
another, from which latter point II has been washed
back into the channel which the dredges were
work. 1t is recommended by these engi-
that huge contract to thirty feet
in this channel should be let. The complaint is
made that the government not only refuses TO
private individuals corporations the privilege of
making their deep channels. is the system
in Europe. under the supervision OF permanent
local boards OF harbor commissioners. but also
neglects to give intelligent. conscientious and re-
sponsibe the task of carrying the work as
designed.
ANOTHER PLAN PROPOSED.
Another engineer of international reputation in
speaking Of the defeat of the River and Harbor bill.
said:
The failure of the River and Harbor bill to be
the defective and uncertain methods of providing
for useful public works. The Dill nSelr was d
los, rolling measure, and it claimed by those
opposing ii that upward of one-half the amount of
the bill made up of items for places unworthy
of Improvement, the only purpose for which they
put in the bill being TO secure enough votes
Members of Congress in favor Of the passage of
the interests Of commerce demand the improvement
of certain rivers and harbors of national impor-
tance and IT was necessary to make a sacrifice in
order TO secure means for that purpose. The ap-
nronriation aggregated in round numbers $4,000 900,
and anv method which promises a saving of half
this sum biennally, without detriment to worthy
fmnroyements merits serious consideration.
II is suggested that general law should be en-
acted which will enable municipalities corpora
aiane 70 undertake the execution of any worthy
u enf is TO obIigate itself TO pay annually such
sum based upon the commerce benefited O. the
tonnage the port will provide for the interest
on the bonds and their ultimate payment. Under
this arrangement the government would only pay
for successful improvements where commerce was
sufficient 10 warrant the expenditure, and az
worthy places would thus get immediate relief.
The scheme is. in brief to return to the original in
vestors the amount of money invested. providing
commerce developed warrants such return, thus
proving the enterprise 10 have been legitimate II
being impossible to make the commerce itself pay
government should bear the burden of harbor i'm
S,roVanen the tolls are assessed against the yes
sells but are paid by the government This would
constitute a legitimate subsidy to be honestly
earned The elimination of unworthy places would
away with half the expenditures proposed in the
River and Harbor bill of last winter.
There Is another source OF economy under such a