Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-11-23
Money for Only Those Projects
Recommended by Army
Corps Of Engineers.
TOTAL ASKED s29,628,6 98
Upper Mississippi Estimate for Year
Ending June, 1913, is
S1,25O,OO

department. anu CONe4luS the hSOnA
year ending June 80, 1913, show a
strict adherence to the new admin
istration policy of asking congress to
appropriate only for those improve
ments which have received the ap-
prevail of the army corps Of engineers
after the most thorough investiga-
ton. No new projects of any great
importance are provided for in the
estimates and unless congress takes
the bit in its teeth and disregards
the recommendations Of General w.
H. Bixby, chief of engineers, the
pork barrel" method of river and
harbor work will have been elimln-
ated for a second year.
The appropriations asked for ag-
gregate S29, 62S,69S as against $780,
095, 69S for the current year. The
estimates will be sent to congress
by the secretary of the treasury and
President Taft in his message will
urge that they be strictly adhered to.
They are divided as follows.
COVER ALL REQUIREMENTS.
Under continuing contracts $12,-
114,98S; Rivers and harbors (gen-
eral including Mississippi river COM
mission, and examinations, surveys
and contingences) ST, 345,4 $50; In
der California Debris commission
Cexpenses) $4,000; Prevention Of
deposits in New York harbor, $685.
26O.
Those estimates, it &c explained, are
intended to cover all the minimum
requirements for the prosecution
and maintenance of the various i'm
provements. They were made UP
from estimates prepared on the same
basis by the various district engi-
neers, this being done TO keep with
in the limited total estimates deem
advisable for the fiscal year of
1913 and on the supposition that riv-
er and harbor work will be provid-
ed for hereafter by annual appro-
priation. The estimates are to be di-
vided between the river and harbor
and sundry civil bills and are to be
applied to 242 works.
FOR LIBERAL APPROPRIATIONS.
In connection with the estimates
General Boxby, chief Of engineers,
says in part: Liberal appropria-
lions are considered proper and de-
sirable for snagging and other work
necessary to make natural channels
available where water-borne COM
merce exists or is reasonably pros
pective. 1t is believed that expen-
ditures for such improvements are
almost always useful and advantag-
Gus to the general public, especially
since the introduction and rapid de-
velopment Of small gasoline motor
boats for combined freight and pas
senger transportation. In many
cases it is apparent that the failure
to use a waterway is due so much
to lack of channel depth as to the
presence of snags and other obstruc-
tons which can be removed at COM
paratively small cost, thus making
the natural channel depths fully
available throughout the year. When
the boat commerce develops or it's
requirements become greater the ex-
listing clear channel will be in its
best condition for further and more
expansive Improvements
IMPROVEMENT OMITTED.
improvements adopted by con-
gress, and not provided for in the
collAldlCSg nave BStu SlInGT
on account of sufficiency of funds
now available, on account OF lack of
urgency or of relative Importance, on
account of defective projects which
were adopted many years ago and
are in need of examination with a
view to revision or abandonment. or
in cases in which recommendations
for appropriations for new projects
have recently been submitted to con-
gress in special reports.
Under existing law denomination
of existing projects are made by the
board of engineers for rivers and har-
bors in compliance with resolutions
by either the committee on COM
merce Of the senate or the commit
tee on rivers and harbors of the
house OF representatives. but these
examinations are subject to the
that no enlargement of the
scope OF the project can be consid-
cred, so that desirable extensions OF
projects can not be recommended.
1t is believed that a similar provis-
ion Of law authorizing the chief of
engineers to cause a denomination of
projects, at least those not hereto
fore passed upon by the board of en-
gineers for rivers and harbors, would
be IN the public interest. Projects
reported in the river and harbor act
OF March 3, 1899, as unworthy Of
further improvement by the United
States or considered by the chief of /,
engineers as in need OF revision /
could IN this way be fully investi- |
gated, local interests could be heard. !
and formal report thereon made for /
the consideration OF congress. II
RELATIVE IMPORTANCE. |
1T would seem ad disable IN counec- |
ton with any denomination to grant 1
authority to consider and report upon 4
any notifications in the nature OF .
in scope OF projects be-
lieved to be desil able, when such l
are recommended by /
district officers or otherwise brought /
to the attention OF the department
If desired nv conPrezs for zee