The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-11-28
sv JONATHAN WINFIELD.


Washington, Nov 2S.-When the ma
tional rivers and harbors congress
meets again in this city in December
it will strongly indorse President
Taft's waterways policy. AS set forth
in one of his speeches, President Taft
heartily urged systematic treatment
of rivers and harbors improvement in
all sections of the United States. in.
stead of the Improvement that has
been progressing in the past through
sporadic appropriations from con-
gress
According to Walter s. Dickey of
Kansas City, the rivers and harbors
congress will have its actions backed
up by the president and congress will
join with the president in an effort to
take the waterways improvement out
of politics. This. he says. will be
very difficult job as very often con-
gressmen are returned to the national
legislature because Of the fact that
they produce the goods" for the dis
trict of their home state which they
represent Others who understand the
question thoroughly agree with Mr..
Dickey. that should President Taft re-
ceive the Endorsement for a system
attic improvement of rivers and har-
bors from congress, he will have ac-
complished one of the great move
ments of progress during his admin
istration. IT,. r
In speaking of the subject Mr.
Dickey says: Ever since there has
been a waterways bill. projects have
been provided for which there was
very little merit. That came about
through influence Individual men,
bers of congress have asked for and
received appropriations for their dis
tricts, purely because of personal rep
reservations This has made the riv-
ers and harbors bill the greatest piece
OF pork barrel legislation in the ma
tional government.
1.-The first organized effort against
this method of deepening harbors and
making rivers navigable followed the
organization OF the rivers and harbors
congress. The first substantial re-
cognitinon which it received came
when the president announced that he
would veto the next pork barrel bill
which came before him.
This situation makes 1t plain that
the rivers and harbors bill will be of
an entirely different character from
any Of its predecessors. That is it
will be different il it becomes a law"
The rivers and harbors congress
Will meet in Washington on Decem.
Der Z, just prior to the reconvening
of congress. Invitations have been is
sued by the officers Of the congress
| to the cities, states and commercial
organizations of the country to ap.
point delegates. A thousand of them
are expected to attend.
To visitors who come to Washing
ton on their next summers vacation
Pennsylvania avenue, the broad
thoroughfare between the treasury
department and the United States
capitol will be a different looking
street. especially near the treasury
department Some old landmarks
that have fianked the broad surface
of this historic avenue down which
many presidents have gone their way
to the capitol on Inauguration day
will have disappeared. and in theil
stead, foundations laid for several
new buildings that are to become the
homes Of government departments
The state department will occupy one
OF the buildings; the department Of
commerce and labor another. and the
department Of justice the third.
Specifically the buildings will occu
py all of the land bounded by Penn
sylvania avenue. and Mall and Four
teenth and Fifteenth streets. In 9th
er words the site for the new build
ings extends south from Pennsyl
vania avenue to the bureau of engrav
ing and printing.
In order that the general scheme o
architecture of the buildings may con
form with the suggestions that hav,
been made for the Identification of thu
south side of the avenue from tn,
treasury building to the capitol, provi
sion has been made for an expert com
mission to award who will report OIL
the relative merits of designs for tn,
buildings. No announcement, how
ever. has as yet been made as to VIII,
will be selected as members of tn,
commission although the secretary o
the treasury, together with the super
vising architect of the treasury hav,
selected a number of architects. de
, signers and others from whom a SCI
ection will be made.
The limit of cost fixed for the de
partment of justice is, $1.900.0O0: 70
the department of state. $4,000, 00(
and for the department OF commerce
and labor $3,650.00O. The buildin
for the departments of state and jus
tice will each be three stories an,
basement. while that of the depart
ment OF commerce and labor will b
five stories and basement.
To obtain the best designs for tn
buildings. three limited competition
for the selection of architects for tn
buildings have been inaugurated. arch
fleets from New York, Washington
ID. c.. Buffalo. San Francisco. Chica
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