Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-07-28
BURTON DEFENDING
SAYS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ARE
LODGED IN THE MIND OF
THE p BLlc

DISCUSSES Belief That River and Har-
Dor Bill is Division of the Congress
slona Spells, Preliminary Examina-
tons end Surveys.
| Washington, D. c., July 24.-Chair.
man Theodore E. Burton of the rivers
ana harbors committee has come to
,he defense of congress and particu,
| lafly OF his committee against the
charge That river and harbor appropri-
ations are in the nature OF pork bar
refs. IN a statement on the eve of
Els departure for Europe, which was
made public here today, Mr.. Burton
says that appropriations for this pur-
pose are guarded more carefully than
any others made by congress and that
they should be much larger than they
nave been in the past, and he endorses
the work of the National Rivers and
i1arbors Congress, which is striving
Tor annual congressional appropria-
lions of S50,000,00O for river and har-
poI improvements.
One of the least gratifying features
having to do with river and harbor
legislation" said Mr.. Burton "is the
prevalence OF numerous misapprehen,
sions firmly seated in the popular
mind and which it seems are almost
impossible to dislodge. One is that a
division of spells is made among the
members. In brief. the bill is known
as pork barrel, On the contrary, no
appropriation bill is quite so carefully
scrutinized and the merits of the diff
| Ferent projects or objects of appropria.
tlon quite so carefully scanned. For
instance, public building bill is in.
troduced containing appropriations for
numerous public buildings. These
buildings, most OF which are no doubt
very necessary, are provided for with
or without requests for information
from the executive departments of the
government and without any prior de-
mand from congress for an examina-
tlon OF the magnitude of the interests
to be subserved or the desirability of
the building.
| On the contrary, before an appro
priation is made for river or harbor
| Improvement there must be a prelim
mary examination and survey of the
locality, and that, too, in pursuance of
an express act of congress. AS re-
suit. there is delay usually amount
Ing to not less than two years after
the project is reported to congress for
it's consideration before an appropria-
ton can be made. In the meantime
an engineer makes preliminary ex.
animation, going over the locality, and
reports in general way whether or
not 1t is worthy of Improvement. If
his report is in the affirmative-tha it
is worthy of improvements goes to
reviewing board of five engineers,
selected under the act of 1902. This
board, II 1t approves the favorable find.
ing of the engineer In the preliminary
examination, reports Its findings to the
chlef OF engineers who passes upon the
subject. The latter then orders a de-
tailed survey with view to determin-
ing the cost OF the projected improve
ment. The engineer who makes this
detailed survey also reports, after hav-
ing information of the cost, whether
the benefits to be derived from the
Improvement are commensurate with
the cost. His report again goes to the
board OF review, and not until they ap-
prove Or disapprove the. project is it
IN position to be considered by con
gress.
1T will be noticed that the engi-
neers in the United States army con.
stltute permanent body of men, de-
pendent upon the government for
their salaries, and, with the esprit de
corps which belongs to such a body,
they are less influenced by or depend
ent upon local favor than civil officers.
Hence 1t is probable, by the time such
a report is presented to congress, that
unworthy projects will be eliminated
One chief defect of the system in
the past has been the unlimited null.
tiplicatfon Of surveys. Before the
Board of Review was created In 1902,
i. was very much easier to secure IA.
vorable recommendations on both pre-.
liminary examinations and surveys.
This was not due so much to any care
lessness on the part of the engineers
as to the different standards of merit
which they observed The object
sought in the creation of the board
was most fall to secure uniformity.
Its members have also been very care
full in recommending projects Under
the bill of 1902 in list of So orders
for examination and survey of rivers
and harbors projects only two were
recommended Under the later, bill of
1905, in lst Of 81 surveys, only one
was recommended, and that In a quail
flied manner.
Before this board was created. Or
ders for surveys and favorable reports
We're very numerous, and as. result
special feature of the present situa-
ton was created. namely, a total of
projects under consideration well in
excess of s300,OO0,oO0 and that, too,
with an average expenditure Of only
| s2O,OOO,O0ta year.
"The statement is often made, We'll.
we only desire a survey but In the
management Of the system a great
deal of firmness is required in resist
| ing demands for these surveys, be.
cause when once upon the list they are