Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-15
ENGINEERS PLANS
DEMAND MILLIONS
Estimates for River and Harbor
Development Filed with Of
fiCerS at Washington
CONSERVATIVE BILL NEEDED
General Bixby Urges Economy in
Requests Made by Men,
bers of Congress
CONSERVATIVE BILL NEEDED

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14,-From
sources regarded as authentic 1t is
learned that there are on file in the
office of the chief of engineers, United
States of America, estimates for river
and harbor improvements for the year
1911-12 amounting to upwards of $780,
900, 600, and the end is not in sight
These estimates are prepared by en-
gineer officers in charge of particular
districts and are made up for the
purpose of giving the board of en-
gineers in charge of waterway improve
ments a general knowledge of each
project upon which work is being done.
When all the estimates have been
received the board of engineers goes
through them and from these revised
estimates are made which are sent to
the committees of congress dealing
with the subject of river and harbor
improvements for their guidance in
framing the river and harbor appro-
prlation bill. Many of these estimates
are out of all proportion to the merits
of the projects, and as a result they
are "cut to the bone" by the board of
engineers in order to keep down ap-
preparations and at the same time
place the stamp of their approval
only upon meritorious projects.
AGITATION ENDANGERs PLANS
For a number of years there has
been a rule in the office of the chief
of engineers prohibiting the giving out
of information as to the recommended
tions of district engineers. on the prof.
ects included within specified terri
tory, but usually enterprising news
paper men in interested localities sue
coed in obtaining advance information
as to said recommendations, and then
the newspapers begin agitating for
increased appropriations. Local boards
of trade and chambers of commerce
join in the movement for larger sums,
and as q result members of congress
are drawn into the controversy and
the fight is transferred to the commit
tees of congress. This agitation, if
persisted in, will work untold harm
to the cause of waterway improve
ments, according to Brigadier General
William n. Bixby, chief of engineers.
Newspapers can aid immensely in
the preparation of the next river and
harbor bill by urging conservative es-
Inmates for projects" said General
Bixby. "A yearly river and harbor
bill is greatly to be desired, but if the
newspapers insist upon their particular
locality getting all that the most en-
thusiastic advocate of waterway i'm
provement desires, the bill will become
so large that its passage is out of
the question.
DEMANDS OFTEN EXCESSIVE
Now that the committees of con-
gress, dealing with waterways, have
gone on record as favoring a yearly
river and harbor bill, 1t behooves the
people, and particularly the news
papers, for their power in the COM
munity is acknowledged, to counsel
conservative appropriations to the end
that the bill will clearly establish the
yearly principle of a river and harbor
budget. If the. mill is loaded down
with provisions for the Improvement
of this river and that canal, and if
it fails to carry out the suggestions
made by President Taft during the
closing days of the last session of
congress I fear for its passage.
what we need now, more than any
one thing, in waterway legislation. is
conservative appropriation bill,
judicially prepared with view of
yearly appropriations so that the nota-
BILE projects may be completed within
a reasonable time. If legislators will
be modest in their requests for recog-
milton of their particular projects and
If the people will make haste slowly,
I believe a yearly river and harbor bin
possible, but if the demands grow too
large and the bill assumes anywhere
near the proportions of the last bill,
then I have serious doubts of the year
ly feature ever being adopted. What
we need most at this time is conservat-
ism in our estimates"