The gold leaf., 1910-07-14

APPROPRIATIONS FOR STATE.
What the State Has Secured aud Who
Obtained 1.-THE Democrats Have
Done the Best Work.

Washington Dispatch to Charlotte Observer.
From government compilations
and recent river and harbor bills |
am enabled to give Observer readers
the following facts with reference to
government appropriations to North
Carolina rivers and harbors, embrac-
ing all appropriations from the foun-
dation OF the government to the pres
ent time, including those in the pres
ent river and harbor act. The entire
appropriations for the State amount
to SO, ,943,O22.92.
Prior to the civil war the appro-
priations to our waters amounted to
$732,O5892, or an average OF a little
over $4,000 a year for the ~ years.
From the readmission of the State
to representation in Congress in
1868 to Senator Ransom's election
to the Senate in 1872, period OF
four years, the States waterways re-
ceived S1S5,OOO from the govern
ment, or an average Of S46, $50. Dur
ing this time the State was represent
ed by Senators Pool and Abbott, Re
publicans, and almost solidly Repub-
lican delegations in the House.
During Senator Ransom's 23years
OF service he and his Democratic col
leagues in the Senate Merrimon,
Vance and Jarvis-and the almost
solidly Democratic delegations in the
House-secured for the rivers and
harbors of the State $4,176,2 200, an
average of $191, ,574 ayear. During
nearly all OF this time Senator Ran
som was a member, and for a part
OF the time chairman, OF the Senate
committee on commerce. By virtue
OF his membership on, and chairman
ship Of, this committee, he is largely
entitled to the credit for these large
appropriations for the State. The
State never had more untiring
worker for her material advancement
than the courtly Ransom, now for a
very few years peacefully sleeping by
his native Roanoke.
For the six years from 1895 to
1901, in which the State was repre-
sented in the Senate by Senators
Pritchard and Butler and almost
solid fusion delegations in the House,
the appropriations for the States
waterways amounted to $573, 700,
and average of $95, 5,516a q year, or
but slightly over half the average of
the period OF Democratic control OF
the States representation in Con-
gress, although the total appropri
| ations for the rivers and harbors of
the country averaged more than
twice as much in Pritchard's and
Buffers time as they did in the time
| of Ransom and Vance.
In 1901 F. M. Simmons succeeded
Marion Butler in the Senate, and for
the next two years the States repre-
sentation in the Senate was divided
politically - Pritchard, Republican,
and Simmons, Democrat. During
these two years the rivers and har-
bors appropriations for North Caro-
lima amounted to $319,7OO, yearly
average of $159,S50 This was be-
fore Senator Simmons became a
member of the committee on COM
merce and before he "got his hand
fairly in" although during this time
he secured the authorization for the
first survey of the famous finland
waterways"
For the seven years since 1908,
when Senator Overman joined Sena-
tor Simmons in the Senate, there
have been appropriated 1886, ,364,
an average of 565, ,195 year-a lit
tie more than three times the yearly
average of any other period OF the
States history and nearly six times
the average when the State was rep
resented in the Senate by Republi-
cans. These large appropriations
have been secured by the untiring
work of Senators Simmons and Over
man and the States delegation in the
House, for much OF the time solidiy
Democratic and nearly so all the
time. For several years Senator
Simmons has been member of the
Senate committee on commerce, and
more than half of the So, ,956, ,364 ap-
| prOpriated to our rivers and har-
bors during the last seven years has
been added to the river and harbor
bills in Senate amendments offered
and secured by him. He is a member
OF the national waterways commits
sion and has given much study to
water transportation upon which he
is coming to be regarded as an
authority.
recapitulate the appropriations
as follows:
| Prior to civil war az years)...S 732, ,05S 90
| Pool and Abbott "A years)... 1S5, 900 90
Ransom ct al (23 years. ....... 4,176, 200 90
| Pritchard and Butler(6 years) 573, 700 90
, Prltchard and Simmons(2 years) 319, 700 90
| Simmons and Overman(7 Z years. g, ,956, 1854 90
From the above the following de-
ductions are easily made by Demo
Gratis:
First: 1t is of immense advantage
to North Carolina to have one of its
Senators on the Senate committee on
commerce
Second: Although the Republican
party has been in control of the gov
ernment most of the time since the
civil war, the Democrats having con
} troll of all branches of the law-mak
ing power Only Y two years, North Car
Olina Democratic Senators and Rep
J resentatives have been and are muct
more successful in obtaining appro
prlations for their constituent,
J than Republicans. A comparison O
the appropriations made for Dubli