New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-06
NEW YORK HARHOR Up.
CHANGE IN PL1N FOUGHT
COngressmen Want authorization
for 4O-F0ot Channels to Stand
IRON The Tribune Bureau.

srd Harbors Appropriation bill to alter the
specification for The depth Of the Bay Ridge and
Fed Hook channels in New York Harbor which
was fixed by previous legislation at FORTY feet.
The War Department wants to make tbirtv-fi,,a
feet the depth. and Chairman Burton. of the
Committee on Rivers and IIarbors. is seeking to
caTy ouI is wishes in the matter. As a result
Of the opposition by the New York members to-
day. action Of the House in committee of the
whole on the paragraph was postponed until
they may be heard further
The paragraph is said to have been put into
the bill at the last moment, and New York
members told the House that they had not had
an opportunity TO be heard on the subject They
declared that before such action was taken the
officials Of the city OF New York should at least
be asked about it. Chairman Burton manifested
desire TO explain all about the paragraph. and
himself suggested that it be passed by until the
end Of the section in which It is found in tia
bill. As son as the truce was declared Repre-
sentative Fitzgerald telegraphed for J. A. Bensel
Commissioner Of Docks of New York, to come
TO Washington on the midnight train with maps
charts, etc, 10 present the case of the city.
Representative Fitzgerald began the fight
against the paragraph reducing the depth Ac-
cordins to the bill THE Secretary of War 10
authorized in his discretion to modify the prof.
ect for this improvement by making the depth
less than forty feet Mr. Fitzgerald said that
he had endeavoreG TO find out what was behind
this move and had been told by Mr. Burton that
while he might see the correspondence in re-
gard 20 #. as personal favor the correspond
snce must not be made public. Mr. Fitzgerald
continued that he had secured copies. however
o. most Of the correspondence. and had found
out that the recommendation had been made on
report Of government engineers submitted as
late Is January.
REASONS FOR CHANGE
M. Burton took the House into his confidence
10 a large extent In reply He said that it had
been found that the construction of a forty foot
channel in these waters would cost 81 25O 600
more than had been originally estimated. and
with the money already appropriated and au-
thorized the project could not be completed AS
there would not be forty-foot channel to the
sea unril at least 1911 he urged that there was
no necessity at this time for constructing
forty-foot channel along Bay Ridge and Red
Hook. He acknowledged that It was the desire
10 construct the channels to a depth Of only
thirty-flve feet at the present time, and ex-
planned that the committee would have come out
and asked that this be fixed as the depth but
for the fact that the contractors having the
work had failed in their undertaking and that
n change the depth definitely might make it
impossible for the government 10 keep the re-
contractors are Hughes Brothers and Arson NJ
Bangs. the latter of whom figured in the recent
bid for the construction OF the isthmian canal
Mr.. Burton said that he wanted it distinctly
understood that he was doing nothing TO inter-
fere with commerce at the port of New York.
Mr.. Towne asked Mr.. Burton to accept an
amendment fixing the depth at thirty-hve feet.
but this the chairman declined to do
Mr.. Waldo made determined speech against
70 the city. which spending an enormous
for improvements along the channels He
took little stock in Mr.. Burtons argument that
II thought wise to limit the depth to thirty
five feet so that the contractors would not dig
II forty feet I'm some places and lower II little
at others He said there sufficient money
appropriated TO carry on the work until the
passage Of the next appropriation bill. and
therefore there was necessity to mention the
work IN the present bill
PARAGRAPH GOES OVER
fore Mr.. Waldo had closed Mr.. Burton sug-
e,-ted that the paragraph be passed by. and
his was agreed TO. after consultation among
the New York delegation.
There is feeling among the New York'mem-
bers that neither Mr.. Burton nor the commit
tee desires 10 limit the depth OF the channels
permanently thirty-five feet but they have
decided it is wise to keep the legislation au-
thorzing a depth OF forty feet. instead Of hav-
ing 70 ask for legislation 70 authorize IT at a
future day. when il viii be necessary for the
good Of the commerce of the country.
In the general discussion Of the bill. before it's
reading under the hve-minute rule begun.
Mr.. Davidson Of Wisconsin a member Of the
Rivers and Harbors Committee. defended the
measure as one of hs best river and harbor bills
ever presented to Congress. "sectionalis-n has
never entered into the committee room.s' said Mr..
Davidson. nor mas politics. The committee has
Dad eye single TO the best interests Of the
country. and this bill needs no defence"
The Cape May project, Mr. Davidson remarked,
was absolutely necessary to builG a harbor Of
refuge there. there was no harbcr from the
mouth OF the Delaware River to New York The
mouth Of The Delaware. he said. was one of the
most dangerous spots along the Atlantic. and
the safety Of vessels was absolutely dependent
the creation Of channel from the Atlantic Ocean
into The inner harbor at Cape May.
Speaking Of the charge that Representative
Burton. Of Ohio. chairman Of the Rivers and
BarDors Committee dominated the committee
20 the extent Of keeping out meritorious pro-
visions Mr. Davidson expressed the opinion,
which met with loud applause. that if Chairman
Burton did dominate the committee lit was
domination Of equity business and fair treat
ment' re declared that there was less pork
IN the bill than IN any and harbor bill here
tofore introduced.
NJ Lloyd Of Missouri, spoke OF the unselfish
rpjrit displayed by Mr.. Burton" in refusing to
ACCEPT an increased appropriation for n Cleve-
land project.
When the provision for the improvement OF
cold Spring Inlet New Jersey, was reached Mr..
Burton had read the following telegram from