Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-06-20

ONO to the river and harbOr appropri-
alton bill as Pork Barrel because
II happened to have 296 Congressional
ulstrlcts represented in the distribu-
ZION OF the funds provided for river and
maroon improvements. called forth a
characteristic expression from Senator
Nelson, who said of the bill: II regard
1t as one of the fairest ever passed by
Congress. In my Is years on the COM
merce committee of the Senate, and
having in that time to deal with the
rivers and harbors of the country, and
coh1eree on number of the bills in
that period. | believe the measure just
become law as the most equitable
and best distributed that Congress has
ever passed. No appropriation is in
GUIDED IN the bill not fully warranted
and justified"
Chairman Alexander of the rivers
ana harbors committee equally as en-
phatIc said that manner in which the
bill was made up dissipates the Pork
Barrel myth" OF the 407 items in the
bill when it left the House 1873 or about
one-thlrd We're for maintenance; as
many more for continuing works al
ready under way and as many for new
work. 1t was Colonel AleNander's idea
that the annual appropriation for post
offices and post roads would be as
much entitled to the designation of a
Pork Barrel as the rivers and har-
bors bill, because the varied appropra-
tons carried in the measure benefited
every section of the United States.
1T is quite likely that the districts
Of 'three-fOurths of the members of the
House are benefited by the rivers and
harbors bill as they always have in
former bills for how could bill be
framed as to provide for the water
ways of the country as not to benefit
a great majority OF the congressional
districts. The Mississippi Valley alone
embraces q of the az states, represent
ed by 226 congressman. most of whom
are deeply interested in the improve
merit of the Mississippi river and it's
great tributaries. There is not a state
in the union, unless it be Nevada,
Utah. Colorado or Wyoming. which is
not directly interested to a greater or
less degree in waterway improvement
The character of the project which
make up the river and harbor BILL"
said Mr.. Alexander. ''illuminates and
NioHlFolSS liC VI N Dali lily III.
Senator Nelson disavowed any hos
tility to Senator Burton which had
been intimated on the floor of the Sen
ate during the conference on the river
and harbor bill. in which the senior
senator from the Lone Star State took
occasion to relate that he had advised
Senator Burton not to go to the upper
branch of Congress because he would
not be permitted to make a waterway
bill according to his own liking. and
would be punished of his knowledge of
the waterways of the United States.
And Senator Bailey further went on to
say that the failure of the committee
of the Senate to appropriate money for
continuance of the National Water
ways Association of which the junior
senator from Ohio is chairman. was
proof of the assertion.
Senator Nelson took occasion to deny
this outright and he did not mince
words in making the denial either.
"There was no disposition whatever on
the part Of the committee on COM
mcrce or on the part Of the conferees
in the Senate to reflect on Senator
Burton. The House committee went so
far as to offer compromise to have
created commission of army enSi-
neers, civilian engineers and transpor-
tation experts to report on some COM
prehensive plan by which our water
ways should be improved. But Sena-
tor Burton would not accept this COM
promise. And in this connection
want to say that outside of Mr.. Bur-
ton no other member of the waterways
commission. and it consists of seven
senators and five representatives. ever
asked the committee of conference to
continue the commission. And now
while On this subject it is a well-known
fact that Senator Burton added in the
commerce committee. of which he is a
member. 81, 600, 900 over and above what
the House had provided for the ohio
river in continuing contracts and $25O,-
900 in cash and the committee stood NY
him for the increase. On the face or 1t
that seems to me to disprove the state
ment of hostility to Senator Burton.
The bill as finally adopted is the be-
ginning of a yearly budget for rivers
and aharbors as urged for many years
by the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress which it is most generally
conceded had done woman service IN
bringing this condition about.
ooeencM