New-York tribune., 1910-11-29
PORK BARREL" CUT DOWN
Enuineers Use Knife on River
and Harbor Estimates.
Mr.. TAFTS IDEAS PREVAIL
Many Pet Projects of Congress-
men Sufer-Total of $780,
095,698 Asked.

Washington Nov. 2s.-Many pet projects
calling for the expenditure of large sums
have been omitted from the estimates OF
army engineers for river and harbor work
for the fiscal year ending June 80. 1872
Among them are the fourteen-foot channel
from Chicago to the Illinois River, the deep
channel for the Missouri River from st
Louis to Kansas City and from Kansas
City north, as well as many others which
have had as their champions members OF
both houses of Congress, who insisted
strenuously that these projects be not for
gotten,
The elimination Of many Of the improve
ments which have formed parts OF river
and harbor bills in the past is in accord
ance with the insistence of President tart
that pork barrel measures be strangled
The engineers were instructed 10 prepare
estimates only for such projects as are
absolutely needed or give promise OF re-
duCing the cost Of transportation by open
ing new water routes and enlarglng some
Of the existing ones.
The appropriations needed for the year
aggregate $50, ,095, ,69S, according to estimates
made public to-day by Secretary Dickinson
in a report from Brigadier General ". IL
Rixbv chief of engineers These nSuFeS
will be sent TO Congress by Secretary
MacVeagh and legislation in accordance
with them will be recommended by Presl-
dent Taft in his message. The estimates
are divided as follows:
Under continuing contracts. .-----..-. si'"oe'V''
Rivers and harbors general. includlng
Mississippi River Commission. ana
examinations, eSanas surveys anu Conn % s27 a61
nerp 1ex,erzssl io..,- 1000
Prevention Of deposits in New YORK oso
Harbor -.-.--.-.,..--- '---- "''-'0
The general estimates. amounting to more
than So ooO, 0G0 are applied TO 2u works.
About 10 per cent of this amount is for the
restoration or maintenance of completed
projects at 136 localities, so as TO secure
the continuance Of benefits resulting from
past expenditures Practically 20 per cent
is for the prosecution Of work on the Ohio,
Mississippi. Detroit. Hudson, Delaware and
Columbia rivers and at eleven important
harbors. The remainder is for the prosecu-
tion and completion Of eighty-two other
works.
General Bixbv says that liberal appropri-
euons are considered proper and desirable
for snagging and other work necessary to
make natural channels available wherever
water borne commerce exists OF is reason
Congress and not provided for in the esti-
mates have been omitted. either on &C
count of sufficiency of funds now available,
on account of lack Of urgency or of rela-
tive importance or Of defective projects
which were adopted many years ago and
are in need Of re-examination with view
to revision or abandonment
Included in the total of 80, 627, ,361 which
the chief Of engineers believes TO be neces-
sary for the year ending June 50, 1912, is
lump sum Of $4o0 900 for examinations sur
veys and contingencies for which there
may be no special appropriation. The
estimates for New York and New Jersey
follow:
s4oo 600; hsrbor At chariotfe, $4,000; at Great
s"dus Bay. $4,000; HeTpstead Harbor, ESQ;
for n,atntenance of ir'proving Ambrose ChanneI
500 coo; harbor ar Os"ego SS5.o0o; a. R0nGout
and Peekskill, $4,000: improving Bronx River
and East Chester creek. SO coo removing OBJ
structions in East River and Hell Gate 5000 900
Hudson RIVER. $50 600: Neyytown creek. 500
New York and New Jersey. $4,000.
New Jersey-Improvlng keyport Harbor
Fiarhor and Compton creek and Cheesequake
creek. S&0,5o0: ma tntenance Of Raritan River
8 coo. Mantua creek $4,000: improving Passaic
River. s. 900; Raceoon Creek 5000; den "a e[n
I ENlA
7l.ckerton Creek, z23, $50; Woodbridge Creek,
5000
Estimates of s7,26S.077 were made for
works which Congress has provided may
be carried under a continuing contract sys-
TEN. and these are not included in the total
OF the new estimates submitted by Cen
eraI Bixby. These items include the fol-
lowing:
Say Ridge and Ped HOOK channels. Gowanus
Psv y Y S24I 600: for foot channel at
Boston 81 100 600. harhor at Cleveland, 5000
0O0: improving Detroit River. $3.50 900, improv-
ing harbor AT I.udington. Mich, s2f9.0ST: i'm
sale River \ = $50 oOo- St. Marys River.
$40 oG0. Arthur Kill, New York and New Jer-
sev. 500 600. harhor at Ashtahula, Ohio. S3T6.-
430. improving Black Warrior. Warrior and
Ton, hfghes rivers. Alabama. S.no,00o. Cape Fear
River y &. S200.OOo; Cumberland River. be
Iou Nashville. Tenn. $3.50. 900: Delaware River.
for I2-foot channel from Philadelphia 10 Tren-
ton $l6o 900; harhor FaiTport, ohio. $3.50. 600;
/ Kentucky River. for locks and dams Nos Ii
and IA S65 600. hsrbor at Newport, r l.. SlS3.-
Csa0. lor construction Of locks and dams in the
Ohio River below Pittsburg. sl.7"5oo and
/ Providence River and HarhoT, r /, S20o.Geo.
BIG BILL WAYNE DEAD