The San Francisco call., 1906-08-19
Desire $5O,OO0,OOO for
Rivers and HarbOrS
WI ASHINGTON, Aug. IA
wv movement thai will involve
innnrtant N rests in Cali

wv movement that will involve
W important IN rests in Cali
fornia is gathering impetus here. 1t
is the campaign for waterways ana
harbor improvements launched by the
National Rivers and Harbors Con-
gresss This organization, which rep
resentS commercial bodies and water
ways associations in practically every
State of the Union. hopes to enlist
powerful support in California for its
crusade for an annual rivers and
harbors bill of at least $5o,ooo,ooo.
1t is pointed out by representatives
of the executive committee OF this
organization here that to carry out
the plans of the River improvement
and Drainage Association of Calitor-
MIA the passage of ample rivers and
harbors bills is an imperative neceS-
sity. The appropriation made by Con-
gress to investigate conditions in the
Sacramento Valley contemplated the a
collection of data TO the end that
plan might be devised to care for
the debris from mining operations
so that it will not interfere with navi-
CATION, and to eventually combine the
work of reclamation, drainage and
river control. With this plan, the
National Rivers and Harbors Con-
gress is understood to be in accord
The appropriations for rivers and har-
bors made at irregular intervals OF
two or three years have averaged in
the last ten years only SIo,5oo,ooo per
year There are, on the other hand,
already on the books projects ap-
proved by the Federal engineers CALI
ing for an expenditure of 100000, 900,
and meritorious projects outlined in
addition to these demand about three
times that sum. The rivers and har-
bors people here assert that CalifOr-
MIA, therefore, stands little chance of
getting sufficient money for the execu-
ton of the plans referred to for the
Improvement of her rivers, unless the
next session of Congress witnesses a
radical departure from the heretofore
/. existing penurious policy, which
would not permit of the passage OF
rivers and harbors bill large
enough to take care of one-fourth OF
/ the projects clamoring for attention.
The executive committee of the
National Rivers and HarbOrs Cow
gress has secured the endorsement OF
its labors from Chairman Theodore
E. Burton of the House Committee
on Rivers and HarbOrs, from all the
members of that committee and from
/ Congressman and Senators represent
/ ing all parts of the country A state
ment obtained from Senator Perkins
of California was made public today.
/ The Senator emphasized especially
the effect of improved water trans
! Portation in lowering railroad rates
/ for California.
/ Il believe in river and harbor ap-
preparations" said Senator Perkins.
Il think that all harbor projects
/ should be literally dealt with. A just
| distribution OF the funds appropriated
is assured Mr. Burton, l think, can
be relied upon for fair treatment OF
all local projects California IN par
! ticular is very much interested in the
movement inaugurated by the Rivers
/ and Harbors Congress- Water trans
portation is Of the greatest importance
to this State. In the case OF our
rivers, the conditions are different
than in any other State, and need
1 special attention owing to the fact
that by the cutting down OF the hills
| by hydraulic mining detrituS has been
washed into them and has filled their
I beds so as to ruin navigation and
damage the adjoining lands over
which these deposits are carried fby
/ floods | remember that when | wkpt
] up to Sacramento in 1855 large vessels
drawing fifteen to eighteen feet of
water went up there and lay at
wharves right beside the stOrehouses.
/ Now its so that only small vessels
/ drawing three or four feet, or less,
/ can reach this point That we'll illus
trates the need of Improvements in
our State.
There can be no question that the
/ improvement of rivers and harbors
will do more than any Interstate
| commerce committee can do toward
/ keeping down freight rates. The
/ Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers
/ and their tributaries are a decided
! check on rates to the coast and would
be even more effective if properly
improved. Not only that, but the inn
provement of our harbors, rendering
easier and therefore cheaper the ac-
cess of vessels OF deep draft to our
/ ports, must react on transcontinental
/ railroad rates by lowering the cost
of water transportation to he Atlantic
| Coast"