The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-10-19
JUDGE mpANlEL ON BAYOU IMPROVE
r

MENT.
In his opening speech Thursday night
Judge Lock MCDANIEL, the republican candi
date for congress. had this to say in con
nection with the appropriation for the i'm
provement of Buffalo bayou;
He then proceeded TO vigorously criticize Mr.
Ball for what he termed his Tack Of watchful-
ness Of his constituents interests n not getting
a larger appropriation for division 2 OF the Butt
falo ship channel He stated that the present
appropriation bill carried 100000 for contnu-
ing Improvements and authorized contracts for
an additional amount OF 100000, since a.
vision / i" said he chad received the entire FIRST
appropriation, why should not divisios. ? have
received the entire second and subsequent APP
preparation Il would have done So ~ my
Judgment, IL had had the honor Of representing
you IN congress and had been the master Of tue
situation 20 the extent that my opponent claimed
10 be. Failing in that. / certainly would have
been too wide awake 70 have allowed this oil
20 become q law with the cquivocal proviso Just
quoted. Not more than oue-half Of said amounts
shall be expended upon division 81 The eSpcndi-
ture OF 60 cents on division would be no VIOLA
ton Of this law. i leaves US 90 grapple with
receive. II can not get more than halt, but
there vs. no limit 20 the smallness OF the amount
II may. receive Who inspired this pr9yso
NE further saidi Ii is well remembered that
Mr.. Ball discouraged, If be did not spurn the
proffered assistance of our people, especially re-
publieans who had friends and relatives IN both
aided these eDtcrprises WV did he do this?
Why did he not take all the help that he could
get, and which as il turned out he 50 much
needed No worse reason, ! apprehend, than a
ordly personal all-suticicncy and a characteristic
partisan obstinacy, accustomed 10 scorn aid from
The only people who could give ad--ine pro-
gressive members Of the republican party. Mind
you, this ill-guidcd obstnacy does not exist
among the democratic rank and file, but is cor
nered by the democratic leaders
The Post finds It difficult to properly char
acterize the above most remarkable deliver.
ance.
The alleged statement of facts and the de-
auctions therefrom are SO utterly absurd as
to raise a doubt as to whether or not Judge
Mcdaniel really intended them seriously.
lf he did so intend them. most certainly he
has done himself no credit, for they exhibit
a degree Of ignorance OF the subject matter
In hand scarcely pardonable under all the
circumstances.
In the first place to begin with the item
approprating one million dollars was put
ia the house bill at the instance OF Congress.
man Ball. and upon an estimate made by
him that after the work already done IN
section one the amount named would be
sufficient 60 complete a channel twenty feet
deep all the way from the Galveston jettiea
to Harrisburg.
In the second place. that being the IN
tention OF congress, and SO construed aud
accepted as such by the department at
Washington the engineer In charge has al
ready submitted his scheme for tho work, ia
be done on both divisions simultaneously
and IS now advertising for bids, which are
soon to be opened and the contracts award
ed. This disposes in short order OF Judge
NIeDaniels suggestions cases Of what might
or might not be done under the wording OF
the law The Judge should have known
must have know of these facts for ON Sep
TENDER r. last The Post printed prominent
I ly displayed the following statement, which
vas dictated By Captain G S Richie
Unless there should occur some delay who'll
unexpected Captain Richie win advertise for hid
the latter part OF this month, and those bids vii
be opcoed sixty days later After the bids arr
/ opened and awarded and the contracts let /
will take about month 20 shape them up an,
I get them approved at Washington Then The
contractors win have ninety days in which e
get ready and go to work
Thus it viii be seen that il everything soe
I according 20 arrangements work will ACTUALLY
! begin about the FIRST OF April 1908 The term
Of the contract provide that the work must b
1904 but one-fourth OF the work must be done b.
December 1908.
Il viii be noted that the law provides for
channel OF uniform depth IN divisions / an
p which means from the Galveston jettles 4
It will be remembered that $4,000 has alread
been expended on division Through the bay
which contract will be finished within the mex
two months. The completion OF this contract vii
give channel seventeen feet deep. Now wit
the last appropriation of $Ioooooo. Capta
a q T.
deep the entire distance of the two divisions
which was the intention Of congress, That is t
say he Will increase the seventecn-foot channc
already dug in Galveston bay to twenty feet an
continue the wentyfoot channel on up TO HaI
, risburg
This IS the whole storye In nutshell an
must silence all talk on the subject
Further comment on judge Mcdaniel
version" Of the deep water situation /
. unnecessary, except a brief reference to
very gross injustice done TO Mr., Ball in tn
5 statement that he lBalD discouraged. il h
did not spurn, the pronered assistance q
, our people especially republicans" ct,
{ There is not the slightest foundation 10
this charge, So far from discouraging tn
assistance of our people, he, on the cor
trary, solicited It upon all occasions whe
] necessary and received such assistance fror
few, a very few. During the last sessio
Of congress, after securing the adoption q
, the million dollar item by the house con
! mittee, Mr. Ball wrote to the local commits
tee that It would be unnecessary 70 sen
any committee to Washington until the BIZ
reached the senate. but that he would b
I glad to have assistance at that time.
s The chairman OF the local committe,
{ Colonel Dillingham;, Is a republican, one
D his chief co-workers. Mr. MacGreror is n ?,