Panama City pilot. (Panama City, Washington County, Fla.) 1907-19??, 1908-02-20
Tawney's Retrenchment Announce
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Little did Repl sentative Tawney,
chairman OF the committee on appro-
prlatlons, dream that he was about |
20 precipitate an avalanche of epis- |
tolary trouble when he made a re-
mark few days ago in discussing
the urgent deficiency bill. But he
ala let loose trouble and plenty of it.
secretaries to congressman have
been working overtime answering
ietters of protest, but their cross-fire
uoes not seem to have any effect on
1ne clouds of letters that fiutter in
from north and south, east and west.
MI. Tawney verbally pried open
his Pandora box of woes when he
declared that the appropriations
called for this year would, if all were
granted, leave the government $780,
ooO,OOO on the wrong side of the
ledger. He preached economy and
urged congress to Ego slow" This
was all very well, and as chairman
of the committee Mr.. Tawney was
given much applause.
But he made a tactical mistake
when he got down to specifications.
In the scheme of economy he could
not see, he said, how the present
congress was going to pass a rivers
and harbors bill. In the past this
especial measure has been the saliva
ton of all who sought to burden the
appropriations bill with other ex-
penditures 1t has saved the day in
many instances through elimination.
But Mr.. Tawney is finding that the
day in question has gone by. His
words scarcely were uttered before
there began to arrive kilograms and
special deliverery letters addressed
to various congressman In both ends
of the capital. There must be funds
appropriated at the present session
for the Improvement of the water
ways and the seaports of the country.
This was the burden of the messages.
They are still arriving, and the de-
mand is no less insistent nor is their
number falling off.
This instant storm of popular dis
approval has occasioned surprise in
many quarters, but not among those
who have been watching the educa-
tlonal work done during the last few
years by the national rivers and har-
bors congress. This organization has
brought before the American people
the absolute necessity existing for the
adoption of a broad and liberal ma
tional policy in the treatment of this
especial feature of internal improve
ments. The fruits of this campaign
are to be be seen In the instant pro-
test from all quarters against the
statement made by Mr.. Tawney.
AS a matter of fact, the chairman
of the committee on appropriations
could not we'll have chosen a more
unfortunate time in which to invite
the lightning. While he was talking,
the inland waterways commission was
putting the finishing touches on it's
report to the president, report that
now is in Mr.. ROosevelt's hands. The
appropriation for the Panama canal
had been passed, and much had been
said concerning the need for improved
waterways at home if the United
! States were 10 benefit by its great
engineering feat on the isthmus.
In the face of all this, it is not sur
prising that the public reply to the
threat to destroy hopes of rivers
and harbors bill at the present session
should have been addressed with such
vigor. In the appropriations for
rivers and harbors in the past the
people have asked for bread and
have had to content themselves with
stone. Their spirit is aroused, and
all that was needed to fan the spark
of commentator into the roaring
| flame of enthusiasm was such re-
mark as Mr.. Tawney made.
Mr. Tawney's statement that the
rivers and harbors bill would have to
be sacrificed brings to mind the
promise practically held out by Rep
resentative Burton of Ohio last De-
cember In addressing the conven-
ton here of the National Rivers and
Harbors Congress he committed him
self to endorsement of that organiza-
TONS program, which is mot less
than $50, 900, 900 year for waterways
! Improvement Mr.. Burton is