The Sentinel=record., 1910-02-12
THE RIVERS AND HARBoRs BILL
MAKES ITS REPORT COVER.
ING ALL EXPENDITURES.
Mississippi River Improvement Plays
Prominent Part in the Meas
ure That Is to Make New
Transportation.

Washington. D. c., Feb. l1.-Water-
way projects throughout the country
at the cost of $42,355,276, of which
$7,206,430 is for continuing contracts,
are provided for in the rivers and har-
bors appropriation, which was reported
to the house today by the committee
on rivers and harbors.
The bill will be called up in the
house Monday in an effort to press
the measure to passage as expeli-
tiously as possible.
IN the great haste with which the
bill was prepared. the totals in the
report of the committee disclose a
number of discrepancies, which it was
impossible to get tonight The dis
orepancies, however. were minor ones.
The figures as given are according TO
those furnished by the committee.
The s7O00000 outside the cash ap.
preparation is for expenditures which
may hereafter be made under the con.
tinuing contracts system.
The bill is theoretically an annual
budget although no regular rivers and
harbofs bill has been reported since
that approved March 2, 1907.
All the projects already under i'm
provement aggregate s252,017, 400, in
Guiding the Mississippi river from
Cairo to the head of the passes. There
are further projects favorably report.
ed by the engineers, but not vet
adopted by Congress, amounting to
sS7.54S,6O0, or total of $339. .566. 900,
including the projects provided for
rnder the present bill which would
leave 1927 100000 yet unaccounted for.
II Congress adopts the present meas
ure.
The total amount to complete adopt
ed projects except the Mississippi
river, foots up $7O,S29, 100, AMI for the
Mississippi s17,751 $50 from the mouth
of the Missouri to the mouth of the
Ohio $1S,5OO.OOO. thence to st. Paul
and s59,55O from st. Paul to Minnea-
polls.
Besides this, the cost of projects
which Congress presumably intends
to complete, having started them, is
estimated at s9,346.5OO. and the canal
ization of the Ohio for a nine foot
depth, practically adopted in the bin
approved March 8. 1909, is placed at
$60,280.600, making a total of s177.-
e17400, which Congress may be con.
sfdered as committed to.
The bill provides for harbor pro.
jects for greater depth at Norfolk, va.
at a cost of s345,000; Mobile, Ala.
nearly half million dollars, which the
New York harbor, the great lakes, Ghe
Detroit river and numerous sections.
receive great attention.
Al iihpoitdtl SSCJIOn OF the New
York barge canal. now being con-
structed by the state an expense OF
$1O1,OO0,O0o, W i'll be opened before
the close Of navigation in 1914. and
the committee says that for barges to
pass easily to the sea it is absolutely
essential that work in the Hudson
river to provide depth of 12 feet at
low water at the beginning of 1910.
The bill provides not only increased
appropriations for the various tribu-
taries of the Mississippi, but fixes
time limit when such permanent I'M
proved channels shall be completed.
The policy adopted in the bill for the
Mississippi river between Cairo and
the gulf anticipates an expenditure OF
$4.00o.00o each year for twenty years,
which will complete permanent isil-
proved nine foot channel from Cairo
to the gulf
OF this $4.0O0.00o this year. half is
carried on the sundrv civil bill. which
will be taken up soon by the appro
piistions committee. The middle