The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-02-25
NEW BAVEN'S HARBOR
AND ITS RIGH7S IN THE MATTER
 OF IMPROVEMENTS.
Chairman Burton and the Allotment of

Chairman Burton and the Allotment of
 Appropriations-A We'll Considered
 Article on the Subject in Behalf of
 New Haven Interests.
 The recently published so-called dis patch from Washington concerning har- bor improvements is certainly a re- markable communication. It recites the telegram of Mayor Studley to our con gressnen and senators and MT. Burton's reply. These communications are both eminently proper. But it then proceeds to represent MT. Burton, the chairman of the committee on rivers and harbors, in making his decisions with reference to alloting appropriations or withhold ing them as being governed by a petu- lent personal irritation, instead of by the facts and needs of the harbors in question. We do not believe that this is a just representation of Mir. Burtons attitude.
 This alleged dispatch from washing ton says: MT. Burton has now lost all patience with the faulfindlng and pres sure over this matter, and he probably will never allow it to come before com gless in any shape whatever"
 It certainly is extraordinary if New Haven is considered to give mortal Of fense to the chairman of the commit tee on rivers and harbors by asking Improvements corresponding in some small part to those which are extended to Fairfield county and to other parts of the United States. Take for instance, in Rhode Island, the Providence Jour nal of Thursday morning contained a leading article congratulating the Rhode Island citizens upon the large appropriations secured for Rhode 1s- land by her able representatives, i'm proving their harbors, both great and small. to the extent of many hundreds of thousands of dollars, and providing surveys for harbors which do not be- gin to compare in importance with the rivers at New Haven.
 When it is considered how New Ha- ven county receives almost nothing in the present river and harbor bill while Fairfield county received S6O6,5OO, it would be extraordinary if New Haven had not the public spirit to voice q pro- test under such circumstances. It cer- tainly would go far to give support 10 the libel upon New Haven, which is sometimes heard, that we are locking in public spirit.
 Then. too. comparing the sppropria- ton and authorization of $463,O00 in Bridgeport and but $10,0OO in New Ha- ven, the absurd disproportion certainly would excite the protest of the most drowsy citizen. This course in the face of the fact that the chamber of com merce and the harbor commissioners have been urging most earnestly pro- vision for the, survey of our harbor and rivers for the past four years, and have almost secured an appropriation for the QuinniDiac at two or three different times. but 1t has been allowed to slip through the fingers just for the lack of sufficient influence in Washington to keep it in the, bills, where it was insert ed bv the efforts of the chamber of commerce and the harbor commission. The chamber of commerce has present. ed repeatedly during the last five years the most indisputable facts and reasons why the Quinpipiac river ought to be dredged, including the unanimous ex- pression of the owners and navigators of SSS steamers, tugs and barges which navigate our waters,
 We cannot believe that Chairman Burton feels a petulant irritation against New Haven because our eiti- zens ask consideration under these cir cumstances. No one short of grand duke of Russia, or possibly szar, would be autocratic enough to deny our citizens the right of petition and of urging their petitions in view of these facts.
 This Washington dispatch also says ''Mr. Sperry urged that the survey of the tributaries should be provided for as we'll as that or the harbor" This amendment was offered for the bill by Senator Bulkeley, and it certainly Is a  reflection upon Mir. sperry for this Washington correspondent to state that he was unable to procure a provision for a survey of our rivers, when Bridge port has already had dredged four rlv- CTS and creeks, not one of which begins to equal the Quinnipiac in importance
 MT Burton has written to gentlemen in New Haven saying that MT. Sperry has stated that he would be satisfied if the United States would make an ap- propriation for the Quinnipiac river, with provision that New Haven should raise an equal amount of the appropriation. On inquiry here it can not be learned who has made any such pledge on the part of New Haven, ex- cepting MT. sperry, and those concern ed in the movement for the improve ment of our navigation cannot under stand why he should be called upon to do this when Bridgeport was not called upon to do 1t, nor Is there any such pro- visios in one case out of one hundred of the appropriations for dredging or riY- CTS in the river and harbor bill.