The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-02-28
THAT PROVISION OF S84,OOO FOR NEW HAVEH WHICH WAS STRUCK OUT OF SUNDRY
 CIVIL BILL.

Provision Was for the Dredging of the
 Quinnipiac River Below the Grand
 Avenue Bridge-Many Excuses That
 Have Been Made From Time to Time
 in Connection With the Scheme.
 To Editor of the Journal and Courier:
 According to the Washington dis patch, the provision of $64, 900 for New Haven, which was in the sundry civil bill, has been stricken out in the house of representatives upon the unsupport- ed allegation that the work is primarily of interest to private parties, and that 1t is not a public necessity that is be- ing served.
 We are quite accustomed to this result as to items which are put into appro- priation bills for New Haven, but the present excuse Is brand new New Ha- ven has been turned down for four years past in everything except one small item for the West river, but the excuses have varied from session to session, and this one is a new inven- tion. Each time the excuse has been proved to be without foundation and the real reason why we do not get the improvement which we need has been kept carefully out of sight.
 If there was any truth in this new pretext, why was not the Chamber of Commerce given chance to meet it in committee hearing at Washington?
 This provision was for the dredging of the Quinnipiac river below the Grand avenue bridge. MT. Burton rec commended the appropriation for this several years ago, and on the recom- mendation of his committee congress authorized the expenditure. Now, we cannot believe that MT. Burton made this recommendation Knowing that it was for private interests. He has all ways been just as much opposed to the government expenditure for private in- terests as he is now.
 The committee on harbors, the Chamber of Commerce and the harbor commissioners have urged this inn provement for eight years, and the city has from time to time endorsed the movement, and so have other organiza- tions. Nayigators and vessel owners have unanimously urged the need of this channel Now for the first time this excuse is put forward, and no opportunity given to refute 1t.
 A few years ago the excuse was that the location of the channel was occu- pied by oyster grounds, therefore, it must not be dredged. This objection was shown to be frivolous by the fact that practically all of the dredging which has been done in the harbor and our rivers has been where the places were held under precisely the same kind of titles. Furthermore, when the 'cnooked fifty foot ditch was dredged up the Quinnipiac, MT. Verrill had the oys- ter grounds dredged up without any compunction, although the titles were just the same as these in the 200 foot channel.
 When this excuse was worn out, the next one was that the money was need ed in he lower Quinnipiac, so the up- per Quinnipiac went without it, but congress was not induced to pass the necessary legislation, and the lower Quinnipiac failed to get it, and thus we failed to get it at all.
 Later the excuse was made that Col. Powell had reported the project finish ed, therefore although it was not fin dshed. 1t could not be finished. Then in the fall of 1904 when the congressional committee was at New Haven, MT. Verrell, who was called upon by Mir. al of our navigable waters, failed to men ton the upper Quinnipiac to the con- gressional committee. A month or two later, when the Chamber of Commerce and the harbor commissioners asked flor this improvement, and others which MT. Verrill omitted to ask for, then our petition for these improvements must not be made, because it would embarrass MT. Sperry to have us ask for improvements which Mr. Verrill had failed to ask for, and no matter what was lost to New Haven, MT. Sperry must not be embarrassed,
 In the spring of 1906, the chief of engineers, General Mackenzie, stated that the sundry civil bill would be suitable place for an appropriation for the Quinntpiac. He stated this repeat edly in writing other docu- ments in a letter to MT. ,Sperry on May f. provided certain information was ob- tained and forwarded to Major Taylor. Just as this information was gotten to- gether by the chairman of the com mittee on harbor of the Chamber of Commerce, and was ready to be for warded, the secretary of war visited New Haven. He being head of the de- partment of which General Mackenzie is next in authority, we submitted the reasons for the Improvement of the riv- CT direct to the secretary of war. He was satisfied of their proprety, he made the recommendation, the item was put in the sundry civil bill, where the chief of engineers said 1t belonged, and where the secretary of war knew 1t belonged, but it was struck out in congress on an alleged point of order, namely-that the sundry civil bill was not the proper place for an appropria- tion.
 If there is any proper place for an