Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-03
WATERWAYS BILL
NO LONGER PORK
PETTY POLITICIANS MOURN
LOSS OF GRAFT
Rivers and Harbors Measure Reported
Out Of House Committee Appro-
pirates $50, 900 900 for Conn
mereisl Improvements
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald
WASHINGTON, Feb 1.-TWO new
records were established in congress
this week when the river and harbors
bill was reported out of committee
In the first place, the measure carries
close to SS0000,000 for waterway inn
provements. the greatest amount ever
appropriated by any congress for this
work. and second. its construction
proved Conclusively that the day is
gone when this Legislation can be con-
sidered in the light of a pork" meas
ure.
OF all the appropriation bills offered
at the present session none has been
drawn up with such painstaking care
or with such searching inquiry into
the merits of each particular scheme
to be benefited. The history of the
labors of the committee on rivers and
harbors, with its subcommittee,
would fill many volumes, and thou
sands of pages would have to be de-
voted to the expert testimony given
on the various improvement projects.
Naturally, in the apportionment of
such a large sum of money, there is
considerable discomfort in certain Sec
tions. congressman who always have
been remembered" by n slice of the
rivers and harbors fund are wroth be-
cause their districts are not sharing
in the present bill. In the past it has
not been an unusual thing for con-
gress to vote money for the Improve
ment" of creeks and mountain streams
navigable, as a congressional wit puts
it, only for Eight draft water fowl.
founders and fiat-flsh." 1t is being
borne in on the complaining ones that
commerce has taken the rivers and
harbors measure out of the realm of
petty politics.
Will improve Great Lakes
The present measure carries sums for
improvements in every section of the
country. The important commercial
ports on the seaboard are given big
slices for betterments, while increased
sums are to be expended upon the
rivers of the interior. Provision, too.
is made for betterment work on the
great lakes, which have shown as a
result of betterment work in the past
that they saved in the last shipping
season upward of $305OOO,000 in freight
charges to shippers. This vast sum
is the difference between what ship
pers would have been compelled to pay
in tolls to the rail lines and the trans
portation tolls by boat.
Congressman Joseph f. Rapsdell Of
Louisiana, who as president of the Ma
tional Rivers and Harbors congress,
has led the fight for proper recogni-
tion of the importance of waterways
Improvement, is being congratulated
on his success by his fellow members.
His organization has urged, in season
and out, that an annual appropriation
of $50, 900 be made, so that the work
of developing the rivers and harbors
of the country may go forward stead
lily.
1t is recognized that spasmodic efforts
in making navigable the rivers and
harbors will be of little benefit to
commerce, and that funds must be
appropriated to permit of steady and
intelligent prosecution of this impor-
tant work The fact that the railroads
have confessed their inability to keep
UP with the transportation demands
of the country has shown the govern
ment the logic of the demand.
The necessity, however, for keeping
this great question alive and forcing
it upon the attention of congress has
caused the secretary of the National
rivers and Harbors congress, j. F..
Ellison of Cincinnati, to issue a call for
a greater membership. This call has
been received by government officials
here and the organization has their
heartiest Endorsement.