The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-30

srnmsnt revenues are not suflsisnt for euch en undertaking a ts proposed in this biz bond Issue for the waterway That is the same old cry. the friends Of the waterways will tell you. They have heard it SO many timss before when 1t was proposed to do something substantial Ia this direction. and they declare they are getting mighty tired of it They can be heard any day say ing here that the resources of the United States are sd great. and are be- ing developed So rapidly. that 1t fe easy to meet the obligations that would be incurred should Congress vote to spend Sso.0oo.ooo a year on the rivers and harbors.
 Just before the Hon David H. Mer- eer of Nebraska went out of public life he and his associates on the House Public Buildings and Grounds Commit tee, of which he was for several terms chairman. framed an omnibus public building bill carrying appropriations of 70 many millions that some of the frosty old members said ie'was a piece or un- heard of audacity.
 The Speaker and the Rules Commit tee got worked up to a high pitch and ewore that a bill carrying such large expenditures ought not to be thought of Mercer and his followers went to work and obtained votes to spare, ana then they plainly told the Speaker and the members of the Rules Committee that if they put any obstacles Tn tne way they would be voted down so quick it would make their heads swim. They subsided completely and that gi- rantic omnibus bill which went through both branches of Congress Is respon- sible for the many additional public buildings since erected. and which were sadly needed to carry on the GoVerh' ment business.
 Several Waterways Bills.
 The river and harbor bond issue bill has been introduced jointly by four members of the House. viz: Ransdell Qa ], Moore (Pa.), Bartholdt (Mo.) and Shirley (Ky.) MT. RansdeH IS President of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress. Mir. Moore Is Pres ident of the Atlantic Deep Waterways orgaizatfon, which held a convention at Baltimore during the latter part of No yefnber, attended by over 700 deie- gates. Messrs.. sherley and Barthoidt represent Louisville and St. Louis dis ,tricts. respectively.
 No move will be made during the ex- tra sessions unless the believers In this bond issue think they are certain or enough votes to win. The Speaker and most of the Republican managers Of the House are violently opposed 10 legislating on any subject other than the tariff. While they will not admit it the pending tariff is such conglom- crate and lop-sided measure that In us present shape. and according to the opinons heard. does not suit either the high protective crowd or the advocates of a revenue bill.
 Its sponsors In their report have made their claims as to the amount Of additional revenue 1t will raise. but they realize right now that unless the most drastic gag rules are brought In to prevent the adoption of amendments other than those favored by the Repub- licans on the Ways and Means com mittee, the measure will have the fll- ing knocked out of it. Why, even that greedy band known as the American Protective Tarif League. with head quarters in New York. and the pub fishers of the American Economist. the League organ. are vigorously attacking the bill because the duties are not high enough to make them prohibitive.
 These fellows want to shut out prac- tically all foreign competition, and are evidently going to rely on the Senate 10 give them what they demand.
 Alfred !. Stofer.