The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-15
IN ATTACK RIVER
AND HARBOR BILL
SENATOR'S WANT TO AMEND.
o,poS1TION TO THE BILL COMES
FROM GREAT LAKES STATES.

Impression That ms an Emer-
orcv Bill it Establishes a New
D-scedent in Expenditures for
ptver and HarbOr-The Building
of New DredSes and Paying for
Those Already Built an Issue.
ruius and Nelson Will EndeavOr
% Have Bill Amended to Provide
Cor Specific improvements.
BY R. NJ. Larner.
Washington, April IA vigorous at
,ock is to be made on the 100000
emergency river and harbor bill in the
eerate. Senator Elkins and Senator
Nelson. both Republican members of
the Committee on Commerce, will pro-
nose to amend the bill, in order that
rrovision may be made for specific i'm
proyements.
The trainers of the bill are opposed
10 any amendment, insisting that it
shall pass the Senate as it came from
the House. They claim that any at
tempt to amend the bill will bring
down an avalanche of propositions
which will swell the total amount by
several millions Of dollars.
Many senators, both Republican and
Democratic, are opposed to the BILL as
it came from the House, on the ground
that it lodges to much discretionary
power in the Secretary of War, who
is authorized by the bill to make ex-
penditures upon such projects as he
may seem advisable.
Opposition from Lake Section.
Another strong element of opposition
comes from senators who represent the
states along the Great Lakes. There
is a strong impression among senators
from the lake region and also from
the sea coast states that the pending
emergency bill establishes a new prece-
dent in the expenditure of money in
connection with the river and harbor
improvements. 1t is also alleged that
through this new policy of appropria-
ton a lump sum of $1,000 600. to be ex-
pended at the discretion of the Secre-
tary of War, is intended to be eX-
pended in the construction and MAIN
tenance of government dredges.
Although the bill has no specific pro-
vision for the building of dredges it is
asserted that a large portion of the
money provided for in the bill will be
diverted to pay for dredges already
constructed under the direction of the
chief of engineers, and to make fur
Their additions to the War Department
fleet of dredges.
The Dredge Feature a SnaE.
The dredge feature appears to be
the principal snag in the channel
through which the bill is to navigate
in the Senate. A protracted debate on
this subject is likely to ensue and is
the present intention of senators from
the Great Lakes to arraign the War
Department for seriously Gripping pri-
vate enterprises through its policy of
constructing dredges for engineer work
without authority of Jaw. Such ac-
ton, it is claimed, has already caused
a large number of private dredges to
be tied up and thousands of working
men have been thrown out of employ
ment by reason of government compe-
tition.
The Republican senators who are
deeply interested in this subject, while
discussing the prospect of amending the
pending bill, gave expression to some
very strong language in condeming this
new and unauthorized policy of the
Engineer Department. A senator who
represents one of the Great Lakes
states thus expressed himself
Policy as to Dredges.
THE time has arrived" said he, TO
put a legislative stopper on this policy
OF the government of driving private
individuals out of the dredging bust
ness. 1t appears that for several
years past the War Department has
gone ahead building these dredges for
use in the river and harbor work,
with money provided for other pur-
poses There are a number of dredg-
ing companies on the lakes and also
along the Atlantic coast, who have