The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-12-31
RIVER AND HARBOR
BILL RESTS EASY
Now in the Hands of the SEN
ate Committee-Favored
by Engineers.
palladium SpcciaD

palladium Spccia)
Washington, Dec. 3l.-The river and
harbor appropriation bill is resting
easy In the Senate Commerce Com
mittee along with sundry pending
amendments as congenial companions.
The bill Is regarded by its friends as
an extremely moderate measure. II
there Is any extreme In moderation.
There Is not likely to be the usual over
loading Of the bill with senate amend
ments largely increasing the aggregate
sum carried In the House bill as has
characterized the bill In the past The
administration pressure for economy
has effectively operated To restrain
many senators and representatives as
well as members of the two commit
tees handling the subject, from Initial
ing and insisting upon appropriations
for projects Of a local nature which
are much cherished by their constitu-
ents.
No bill has ever came from the
house to the senate freer of objection
trusted with river and harbor public
works as the bill which passed the
house before the holidays. In defer.
ence to the policy of economy of the
President and. yielding to his insist
ance. the estimates of the local en-.
gineers were cut down considerably
and then tho figures approved by the
chief of engineers and the board of
engineers for rivers and harbors were
further scaled downward.
No "Pork Barrel" Hint.
There was not, nor is there likely
70 be. even'the hint OF the pork bar.
rel" about this years river and harbor
bill. II Is more than ever hedged
within the cardinal doctrine of the
National rivers and harbors congress
Of a policy and not a project: IA poll
cy to taking care of waterway i'm
provements OF national scope and
characted such as will carry the great
est good to- the greatest number, bene-
fitting the widest and most varied COM
mercial interests. and in their pro-
gress persuading the people that this
In the surest way toward the solu.
ton Of transportation problems.
The aggregate sum of the appropria-
lions provided In the pending senate
amendments is $2.Sl9.26S. which with
the appropriations coming from the
rivers and harboiN committee and the
house makes n bill appropriating APP
proximately $4,000. 900. Other amend
ments may he offered in the senate:
but 1t is not likely the bill will go
much above that figure. Nearly every
one of the senate amendments is with
In the estimates as recommended by
the engineer officers on the several
projects which have been omitted
from the house bill.
Much disappointment in the appar-
ent meagerness OF the river and har-
Dor appropriation for this year in the
pending bill and much apprehension
might be removed il the public were
made to understand that there is in
the aggregate u very considerable
sum of money appropriated on pro-
jccts yet uneXpendcd. and that on
some projects the balance available
covers nearly the entire sum appro-
priated for them in last years river
and harbor bill AS General Bixby.
chief of engineers has repeatedly oh
serbed. II takes time to get plans and
equipment ready upon all projects,
and as it was only last June that the
last river and harbor bill was passed
and became law In midsummer,
much Of the failure to make use of
money appropriated is thereby clearly
enough explained. The delay In the
passage of the bill. coming. as II did,
late in the session of congress, cX-
plains also the reason why the engi.
neer officers assigned to such duty
were late getting "A start on their
tasks. Moreover, IL should be borne
In mind that there is n scarcity Of en-
gineer officers available for river and
harbor duty, rs the chief of engineers
emphatically pointed out in his an
nual report.
There will be some hearings on par
a.. ticular projects at an early date. but
these will be few, as II is the desire
Of the senate commerce committee to
make an early report. as soon as pos.
sible after congress resumes it's SEES
sions. In order promptly to dispose
of the bill. and at the same time have
ample opportunity to meet any OBJ
jections there may be TO the measure.