The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-04
REP. TAYLOR MADE
 GREAT SACRIFICE Would Now Be Chairman of
 Appropriations FOR CONSTITUENTS He Accepted Position on Rivers and Harbors Committee Being the
 Only Man Who Was Ever Denoted

Washington, April 9-(speciaD-Ha it not been for Representative Wash Fay lor's willingness to abide by the wishes of his constituents rather than his own personal feelings, the Mobile congress- man would today be chairman of the appropriations committee instead of Rep resentative Fitzgerald of New York
 It is an interesting story.
 Being elected to the Fifty-sixth Con gress Mir Taylor in his second term vas placed on the appropriations com mittee, regarded by many as the most important committee in the House. He served four terms on this great com mittee and reached the highest rank a democrat could hold, being ranking democrat on the subcommittee on sun dry civil bill in the Fifty-eighth and Fir ty-ninth Congresses. This meant for him the chairmanshlp of that commit tee if he remained in Congress and to- day if on that committee he would be chairman
 In the Sixtieth Congress MT. Bank head was defeated for Congress but was elected senator. This created a vacancy for Alabama on the rivers and harbors committee. MT Underwood could have been appointed but was unwilling to give up his place on the ways and means committee, wise choice, in consequence of which has come to him and to Ala bama the greatest opportunity of the day to be the chairman of the ways and means with the democratic party in power.
 Several other Alabamians were anxious to get the place on rivers and harbors. Mr Taylor endeavored to secure it for any one of them. The democratic leader and the speaker of the House declined to give the position to Alabama on the ground that she had held it too long already and other states were clamoring for it and ought to have it.
 The business organizations of Mobile and other cities in Alabama called upon the democratic leader to appoint MT Taylor and he concluded to do so, if Mr. Taylor would accept, but said Mr. Taylor would be foolish to accept as he had all ready a much more desirable and inn portant committee assignment. When the people of Mobile requested it MT Taylor promptly gave up his personal ambition and work in Congress for eight years with the rank already in hand for chairmanship of appropriations in case of democratic victory and was assigned to rivers and harbors, taking such rank on this committee as the time of his appointment demanded, which was near the bottom. Speaker Cannon held the same view about Mir. Taylor's position as had been declared by the democratic leader and was surprised that MT. Tay- Tor would accept, and jokes on the sub ject to this day about a man volun- sional life.
 MT. Taylor was doubtful of the ad- vantage to Alabama or Mobile in going on the rivers and harbors committee, but said he represented his people and their interest and not himself and his personal ambition and advancement, and as rep resentative of Mobile, he would allow Mobile to decide what place he should take in Congress to do her and the state the best service.
 The results obtained for Mobile (anl it might be added for Alabama). in the Sixtieth and Sixty-first Congresses since MT. Taylor went on rivers and harbors committee, seem to justify the business men of Mobile in making this demand on their representative. project was inaugurated for Mobile harbor to obtain 23 feet depth and was extended to a bot tom width of 100 feet. This project was completed in 1909, in IT years.
 In 1909. the first rivers and harbors bill since Mr.A Taylor was a member, a new project was adopted for Mobile har- Dor for 27 feet depth and 200 feet bot tom width throughout this long channel of 8 miles, all to be completed in four years-a much larger project in less than one-fourth the time.
 MT. Taylor has lost out on appropria- tons committee so far as the chairman ship is concerned as all know of his desire to satisfy the demands of his con- stituents and to serve the best interests of the state as insisted upon by his colleagues in Congress- There Is no one to blame for this result and MT. Taylor is satisfied since he has done his plain duty as representative and he feels that he has been worth more to Mobile and to the state and to the south in his work on rivers and harbors already ac- oomplished than he could be worth in 25 years additional service even though he were chairman of the great appro- Iriations committee.