The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-01-27
WATERWAY BILL
TO Be REPORTED
Congress, However, Likely to Be
Slow to Sanction Certain
Specific Projects.
RIVALRY AMONG PROMOTERS
Civil ServIee Commission, Tired OF
Moving, Makes Plea for Permanent
ouarters-Army Affairs In
Good Shape.

WhbuluBlOu.-lI 10 PAOboOAO NA~>
the rivers and harbors committee OF
congress will report bill at this
session recommending the approprla'
ton of a good many millions OF dol
lars for the improvement Of the water
ways of the country. 1t Is yet a mat
ter of great doubt, however, II the
sanction of the committee will be
given to certain specific projects In
favor Of which there has been coun
try-wide agitation. 1t may be, per
haps it is safer to say probably will be
the opinion of the committee that the
recommendation for an appropriation
to begin the digging Of deep water
way from the lakes to the gulf OF
from Cape Cod to the Carolinas shall
be put of until the congressional wa
terways commission, which has beer
studying the general subject Of com
mercial highway improvements, shall
have turned in its report.
The friends of the deep waterway
from Chicago to the Eads' jetties are
active in their methods Of promoting
the plan which they have at heart
The same thing hold true Of the mel
who want congress to sanction thS
ship channel from Cape Cod doWI
through the coast states to poin
somewhere in South Carolina or pos
sibly Georgia. There is an intense
amount of rivalry between the promo
ters of these two great plans, but th'
rivalry is kept under the surface al
much as possible in order that the
promotion efforts may not cause con
troversy enough to upset the chances
of success of either project.
Other Highway Projects.
The Mississippi valley waterwa!
and the coast line waterway are no
the only interior commercial high
way plans which have friends in con
gress. The projects which have beel
suggested and to a considerable eX
tent advanced in planning, aro numer
our. The southern states want easle
water communication between differ
ent points, and there are plans TO
waterway improvement in the mort
and northwest.
When President Taft was in NeV
Orleans at a meeting Of the watel
ways congress he said kindly wor,
for the general plan Of improving tn
rivers of the country, but he advise
making haste slowly. AS soon as tn
president finished his speech and tn
men who are devoting their time an
energies to paving the way for watel
way legislation had had time to diges
the remarks, they met and in effeC
made a political issue out of the can
paign for deeper river channels.
To Investigate Fully.
Congress always has way Of mee'
ing demands for work along certai
lines with a seeming approval of thei
general features, but it also has wa
of delaying things so that 1t can b
given time for a survey of the fiel
and obtaining of an actual knowledg
of the needs of the case. The friend
of the plan for an immediate improve
ment of the waterways say that col
gress simply seeks means of pos
ponement hoping that some of the d.
mands made will be moderated. B
this as 1t may, congress appointed
national waterways commission
which all the members were eithe
senators or representatives.
On this waterways commission ar
men who are extremely conservativ
on the subject and men who hav
been insistent that the work shoul
be begun at once. The chairman
the committee, Senator Theodore
Burton of Ohio, was for some yeal
prior to his election to the senat
chairman of the house committee @
rivers and harbors. Mr.. Burton know
all about every harbor and stream
the United States and it is admitte
by the men who think that he is tc
conservative that he has a prett
clear idea Of the needs Of every /
cality.
Senator Lorimer Of Illinois has bee
for many years an active advocate I
a ship channel from Chicago to tt
Gulf of Mexico. Mr.. Lorimer is imp
tient of delay. There are other mer
bers of the commission who may
said to occupy the middle ground
the matter at stake. 1t is expecte
that before long the commission wi
make it's report.
Merit Board Wants Home.
AS the country has been told r
Gently, it is probable that congres
will investigate the entire civil ser
ice system Of the government wit
view of having both the letter an
spirit of the law apply to prom