Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-28
FOurteen-FOOt C hanneI
Through Illinois Not
Included.
TOTAL is $3O,O95, ,698
1,250,000 for Upper MiSSiS-
Sippi-RiVerS Get the
Great Bulk.

Washington, Nov. 2s.-Appropria-
tions needed for river and harbor work
| for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1912,
aggregate s3O,O95, sos, according to es-
Inmates made public today by Secretary
of War Dickinson in the form of re-
port made to him by Brigadier Gen
eral W. H. Bixby, chief of engineers
of the United States army. These fig
ures will be sent to congress by Sec
retary of the Treasury MacVeagh, and
/ Legislation in accordance Herewith
will be recommended by President Taft
in his annual message.
How Divided.
The estimates are divided as fol
/ lows:
/ Under continuing contracts.s 5 7.36S,077
Rivers and harbors general,
including Mississippi river r.
commission. and examina-
/ tions. surveys and contin-
genclesD ..... ........... 22,621 ,36l
/ Under c california debris
/ commission (expenses) &C.. 1900
/ Prevention Of deposits in
/ New York harbor ....... S5,260
Many Projects Omitted.
( Many projects calling for the expen-
diture of large sums have been omit
ted from the estimates this year.
Among these are the 14-foot channel
! from Chicago TO the Illinois river, 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 forgotten.
Aim at Pork Barrel.
The elimination Of many of the I'm,
! provements which have formed parts
of river and harbor bills in the past is
in accordance with the insistence Of
| President Taft that pork barrel"
measures shall be strangled. Instruc-
tions were given TO the engineer Off
! GERS of the army to prepare estimates
only for such projects as are absolute
ly needed or which give certain prom
I Use to reduce the cost OF transportation
by opening up new water routes and
enlarging some of those already exist
ing.
Grenter Part TO Rivers.
The general estimates. aggregating
more than $22. 600 900 are applied 10
all works. OF this amount about 10
per cent is for the reconstruction or
maintenance Of completed projects at
1876 localities. so as to secure the con-
tinuance 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
II important harbors. The remaining
20 per cent is for the prosecution and
completion of So other works.
General Bixby says in his report that
liberal appropriations are considered
proper and desirable for snagging and
other work necessary TO make natural
channels available wherever water
borne commerce exists or is reason
ably prospective. improvements adop-
ted by congress. and not provided for
in the estimates. have been omitted.
either on account Of insufficiency OF
funds now available. on account Of lack
of urgency or Of relative Importance.
or on account of defective projects
which were adopted many years ago
and are in need Of reorganization with
a view to revision or abandonment.
Surveys Get s4OO.OOO.
Included in the total OF $22.627.361,
which the chief of engineers believes
to be necessary for expenditures dur.
ing the year ending June 30. 1912. is a
lump sum of $4,000 for examinations.
surveys and contingencies for which
there may be no special appropria-
ton. The estimates for the Missis-
sippi river and for Illinois follow:
Mississippi River - Continuing i'm
provements from head of passes TO the
mouth of the Ohio river. including ex-
penses Of Mississippi river commits
sion, $4,000 900; from mouth OF Ohio
river to the Missouri river, 81 100000:
from the Missouri river TO Minneapolis.
s1,25O,O0O; construction Of lock and
dam between St Paul and Mipneapo-
lis. s25O.OOO.
State of Illinois-Calumet river, Sl0.-
600; Waukegan harbor, $4,000; Ct,-
cago river. $34. 900.
Not Included In Total.
Estimates were made aggregating
$7.36S, or for which work congress has
provided may be carried under a con-
tinuing contract system and these are
not included I'm the total Of the nauy ae.