The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-02-09
WILL MAKE
NEW SURVEY
IMPROVEMENTS TO RIPARIAN
MOCK RIVER WILL Be PUT UN-
DER CONTRACT SYSTEM"
THIS WILL INSURE A BETTER
SYSTEM OF WORK. ETC.

The First district is we'll provided Tor
in the Rivers and EIarbors bill, which 1t
is expected Congress will pass within the
next few days or at least before adjourn
ment.
Congressman W A. Jones is to be con
graduated upon securing appropriations
for so many different points in this dis
trict and for the liberal amounts named
for each. Mr. Jones is very close to
Chairman Burton, OF the Rivers and Har-
bors Committee. which has materially
aided him in securing these appropria
lions.
fredericksburg is particularly iortu
nate in having $40, 900 recommended Tor
appropriation, and the other items Tor
the district, as heretofore published i'll
this paper, are Cape Charles harbor,
So, 900; Nomini creek, 81 600; Urbanna
creek, $4,000; whilst Carter screek gets
a considerable slice of $4,000, which
was assigned in a lump o several points.
Attached to the appropriation Tor the
RappahannOck river are these words:
The Secretary OF War may cause sur.
vey Of said river to be made at and be
low fredericksburg with view to de
termining whether any change should be
made in the existing plans for improve
ment. la case any notifications shall
be deemed advisable, the amount herein
appropriated may be expended upon the
project as modified; Provided, that the
total cost shall not exceed the amount
estimated for the completion oithe exist
ing project.
MIR. Jones has succeeded in getting Mr..
Burton TO take a deep interest IN the mr.
provements for the Rappahannock river.
and but for the fact that the surveys On
der which the improvements have b.en
carried on were made many years ago,
he committee would have placed ii IN
the pending bill under what is known a.
The Contract System. This system
was inaugurated some years ago and
uumber of important streams and har
bors Of the country are now being i'm
proved under it, as for instance, the Nile
sissippi river, the PatspscO river and
channel to Baltimore, East river in New
York, the Delswa are river, Galveston har-
Der and a number OF other important
projects.
When a project is deemed OF sufficient
Importance TO be put under the Ton
tract System" and is so placed, il Is per
manently provided for and those inter
ested in il need then give themselves very
little concern as to It's future care. The
Secretary of War is required to maxi
contract for certain work and the con
tracts having been made, the money t.
cover this is provided for in the regular
annual appropriation bills.
The surveys under which the present
improvements n the RsppahannocS river
are being made are old, aud the new
methods Of hydraulic engineering make
il advisable that there should be new
survey. which will probably be ordered
soon. after which improvements Oh the
RsppahanDOck will probably be put IN
der the Contract System
Congressman Jones. who has urged
this step. has enlisted the interest ct MIR
Burton, who is in accord with him on
the subject. The $4,000 which is named
in the bill for Fredericksburg is SO 900
more than the chief of engineers recon-
mended TO be expended at Fredericks-
burg and with the new survey the proc
poets for the future are excellent
In addition TO the new survey Tor / red
9ricksburg, the River and Harbor bill
provides for the survey of the upper part
oiCoan river, in Northumberland county