The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1910-07-02
The Rivers and HarbOrs Bill
President Signs the Measure but Condemns Its Piece
meal Policy---Bil Carries $751; 900 900, and is One of
the Last Acts of Our Billion Dollar Congress,

cul method of carrying on these
projects by the appropriation of
sums, small in comparison to the
amounts required to effect COM
pletion.
"The figures convincingly es-
tablish the fact that this bill makes
inadequate provision for too many
projects. The total of the bill,
$50, 100000, is not unduly large,
but the policy of small appropria-
tons with a great many different
enterprises without provision for
their completion is unwise. 1t
lessons the sense of responsibility
of those who are TO adopt the pro-
ject, and who do not, therefore,
give to their decision the care that
they would give if the appropria-
ton or contract involved the full
amount needed for completion.
Moreover, the appropriation of a
comparatively small sum for a
doubtful enterprise is thereafter
used by its advocates to force fur
Their provision for it from Congress
on the ground that the investment
made is conclusive recognition of
the wisdom of the project, and its
continuance becomes a necessity
to save the money already spent.
This has been called a 'piecemeal
policy.
eff enterprises are to be useful
as encouraging means of transpor-
tation, they ought to be finished
within a reasonable time.
''The delays in completing them
postpone their usefulness and in
crease their cost. The proper pol
icy, it seems to me, is to determine
from the many projects proposed
and recommended what are the
most important, and then proceed
to complete them with due dis
patch, and then to take up others
and do the same thing with them.
There has been frequent dis
cussion of late years as to the prop
er course to be pursued in the de.
velopment of our inland waterways
and / think the general sentiment
has been that we should have 9
comprehensive system agreed up
on by some competent body of ex.
perts who should pass upon the
relative merits of the various pro.
jects and recommend the order il
which they are to be begun ant
completed.
Congress should refer the ole
projects to boards of army en-
gineers for further consideration
and recommendation. This would
enable us to know what of the ole
works ought to be abandoned
General Marshalrs plain intima
ton in reports to me is that
number of projects call for actor
of this kind. Il have given to tn
, consideration of this bill the full
, ten days since the submission t
me and some time before that
The objections are to the system
! for it may be conceded that tn
trainers of the bill have made a
good a bill as they could under tn
'piecemeap policy. l once reach
: ed the conclusion that it was m
, duty to interpose veto in order
) if possible, to secure change i
the method of framing those bills
S Subsequent consideration has a
!, tered my view as to my duty.
"The projects under way are i
e urgent need of further approprit
t ton for maintenance and continr
Y ance and there is great and just
] fed pressure for many of the ne
y projects provided for by the bill
! 1t has been made clear to me thu
the failure of the bill this late /
xl