Arizona republican., 1911-06-20
ACTIVITY OF RIVERS
AND HARBORs COMMITTEE
Members Will Visit Waterway Projects
During Recess.


correspondence of The Republican,
During the recess of congress and for
that matter during the long days when
the senate alone win be taking il easy,
| Chairman Sparkman and members of
the rivers and harbors committee plan
| TO visit number Of the more import
ant waterways projects and look over
projects which have strong local back
| ing. These personal inspections will be
made for the purpose of familiariZing
the members and particularly the new
/ er men OF the committee with the needs
Of communities. cities AMI states in the
development Of the inland waters of the
country
The first of the planned inspection
trips on the part Of the rivers and har-
bors committee was taken a few days
| ago under the personal direction of
Representative J. Hampton Moore of
Philadelphia, president of the Atlantic
Deeper Waterways association. the
members of the committee constituting
the party being Chairman Stephen NJ.
Sparkman Of Florida, Joseph r. Rams
dell OF Louisiana, president of the ma
tional rivers and harbors congress;
William f. Humphrey Of Washington.
Charles G. Edwards of Georgia, J. Ed
win Ellerbe of south Carolina. Michael
Donohoe of Pennsylvania, John II.
Small of North Carolina, Daniel A.
Driscoll of New York. Thomas ). Scully
of New Jersey, George W. Taylor Of
Alabama and Andrew ]. aBrchfield OF
Pennsylvania. The trip was made pri-
marily for the purpose of a first hand
knowledge Of the route Of the proposed
Philadelphia to New York ship canal
connecting New York bay with the Del
eware river and crossing the state of
New Jersey at a point south OF South
Amboy in that state 20 Bordentown on
the Delaware.
Should this canal be built 125 feet
wide and % feet deep as planned ii will
cost s44,500,O00 with 100000 a year
for maintenance. 1t is estimated that
the annual tonnage within a short per-
iod after its completion would Ice 5000
600 and in the very nature Of things
would make New Jersey one Of the
greatest, if not the greatest, manufac-
turing state Of the union. AS Il posi-
bic condition to ultimate favorable ac
tion by congress, New Jersey has al
ready authorized an appropriation Of
100000 TO provide the right Of way for
the proposed canal predicated upon the
federal government building and main
tanning it. Col. Black of the engineer
corps and one of the ablest officers in
the service is authority for the state
ment that this project is no only feast
BILE but it commercially justified.
81
drawn between the Jersey canal and
that of England between Liverpool and
Manchester. The English canal was
constructed at a cost considerably in
excess Of the estimate necessary to
build the Jersey waterway and it has
paid the government well. and has
brought increased prosperity TO the two
English cities directly Interested. But
the canal across New Jersey would tap
resources far greater than the two En-
glish cities could ever dream of COM
handing" said Col Black in the course
of a speech to the members of the riv
ers and harbors committee, and per
haps we can show in exact figures that
in all reasonableness the return to the
government will be satisfactory and
that it will be even greater than in the
case of the English canal
Chairman Sparkman speaking of the
contemplated visits to other sections Of
the country said that the committee
had been invited to inspect the Ohio
river from Oil city to Pittsburg, the in
vitation coming from Col. John L.
Vance, president Of the Ohio Valley I'm
provement association. This trip will
probably be made just when it is large
ly dependent upon what the house of
representatives will do after the pas
sage of the wool schedule. Mr.. Spark |
man will inspect some of the rivers of |
South Carolina accompanied b. Repre- |
sentative Ellerbe of that state and he |
will endeavor to look over a part of the |
Missouri river above Kansas City es-
pecially that portion of the river which |
Is included in the fourth Missouri con-
gressional district represented by Chas. |
+. Booher a member of the rivers and |
harbOrs committee.
Chairman Sparkman said ne hoped |
that river and harbor bill would be |
passed at the next session Of congress
carrying between thirty and thirty |
five millions and that the precedent OF
yearly waterway bills be made absolute