New-York tribune., 1904-10-07
DEMOCRATIC BIG STICK"
COST OYER s150,OOO.OOO.
Party Pledged to ErtraU0gant I'm
prorement of Mississippi Riyer.
IRON THE TRIBUNE BUEEAU.I

IRON TRIBUNE BUEEAU.I
Washington, Oct. 6.-The insncerity Of Demo-
cratic professions of economy and the hollow
ness OF their criticisms Of alleged extravaganza
by the Republican administration are strikingly
demonstrated by single plank in the ST. Louis
platform. which. despite its innocent appearance
and ingenious wording has attracted the at
tentiOn OF those who have studied the problem
OF river and harbor Improvement. The Demo,
cratic candidates for President and Vice-Presi-
dent have denounced with the utmost vehe-
meuce expenditures OF public money for va
rlous purposes which they call extravagant and
unwarranted. while they have adopted plank
in their platform which pledges them TO expend
for a single Improvement a sum OF money IN eX-
cess of any single item in the federal expenses
Of the last year and In excess OF any estimated
expenditure for the year just begun. The plat
form. skilfully drafted by John Sharp Williams.
Of Mississippi and adopted without dissent
ing voice by the Democratic National Conven-
tion. pledges that party. if returned TO power to
construct. at the expense OF the federal govern
ment. permanent and continuous system OF
improvements OF the Mississippi River the es-
timated cost OF which would be so stupendous
that the Mississippi River Improvement Com
mission never completed its preliminary survey,
although it carried the work far enough to prove
the inadvisablity OF undertaking so vast and
promptly confirmed by Congress.
In pledging itself 10 the Improvement OF the
Mississippi. with definite plan OF continuous
work until permanent Improvement Is secured
the Democratic party pledges itself to under
taking which, IN the opinion Of skilled engineers
will cost more than the entire expense OF the
army for the current year. far more than the
cost Of the navy. more. even, than the total
pension budget which for the year Just ended
was $142.OOOOOO
On work of so gigantic a character as the
permanent Improvement of the Mississippi esti-
mates necessarily differ. but the consensus OF
opinion among expert engineers is that the work
could not be completed for much less than
S150O0O.OOO. Nor would the expense cease. by
any means, when the permanent improvements
were completed. for the engineers agree that
the cost Of maintenance cannot be estimated at
less than 10 per cent of the original cost. The
Improvement would, therefore, entail in addI-
ton to the first CCst. an annual increase OF
$16.OOO.OOO in river and harbOr expenditures.
which for 1908 were approximately $20OO0OOO.
The exact estimates. so far as they can be called
exact. provide for permanent channel work with
revetments and dikes at total cost OF S147.-
100000. with 10 per cent added for annual cost
Of maintenance. They provide. in round num-
bers, for the expenditure Of $30.Oo0.GOO above
Cairo. where $22OO0O0O has already been ex-
pended. S65,OOO,OOO from Cairo to Vicksburg.
S25.OOO.OO0 from Vicksburg to the Red River, and
SSO,O0O,OO0 below the Red River. These are the
estimates Of member Of the Mississippi River
Improvement Commission. OF which General G.
L. Gillespie. until recently chief OF engineers,
was chairman, and b. NJ. Harrod, now member
OF the Panama Canal Commission, a prominent
member. When the Mississippi River Commits
sion aScertained the great cost Of the proposed
improvement IL abandoned its detail work and
PaCR nT0f 0P
channel for the river be abandoned and the
current method OF dredging at seasons of low
water be relied on to facilitate navigation. IL
is admitted that the time may come when such
an expenditure may be warranted but IL Is
declared that it has not yet arrived and It Is
asserted with confidence that the Significance OF
this plank proves beyond peradventure the hol-
IOwness OF the Democratic pretensions OF econ
omy and forecasts with accuracy the extent OF
the federal expenditures and the direction IN
which they would be made were the Democrats
70 regain control of the government