Omaha daily bee., 1911-11-23
RIVERS ESTIMATES LOWER
War Department Asks Less Than
Thirty Millions for Waterways.
ELIMINATING THE PORK BARREL
Only Those Projects Approved by
Army Engineers After Careful
InvcstiERtion Are on
the List.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 22.--Estimatos for
continuing the work OF river and harbor
Improvement throughout the country,
made public at the War department to-
day and covering the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1913, show a strict adherence to
the new administration policy of asking
congress TO appropriate only for those
improvements which have received the
approval of the army corps OF engineers
after the most thorough investigation. No
new projects of any great importance
are provided for In the estimates and
unless congress takes the bit in lts teeth
and disregardA the recommendation OF
General w. II. Blxby chief ot engineers
the pork barrel method of river and
hArhor work will have beep eliminated
for a second year.
IiatImates Are lower
The appropriations asked for atgre gate
so. 62s 69s, as against t30,095 Gas for the
current year. The estlmates will be sent
10 congress by the secretary OF the treas
ury. and President Taft in his message
will urge mat they be strictly adhered to,
They are divided as follows;
Under continuing contraots........tt2 .tt2, ia, ,0sS
Rivers and harbors General, in
Guiding Mississippi River com
mission and examinations, sur
veys and contlngenCies..,. 17,345, ,46C
Under California Debris commits
Prevention OF deposits in New
YORK harbor.. .f..,..,..........s.s. l9a ~
These estimates, n is explained are In
tended 10 cover all the minimum require
ments for the prosecution and mainte-
nance of the various improvements. They
were made up from estimates prepared
on the same basis By the various district
engineers. this being done TO keep within
the limited total estimates deemed advls-
able for the fiscal year of 1913 and on
the supposition that river and harbor
work will be provided for hereafter by
annual appropriations. The estimates are
to be divided between the river and
harbor and sundry civil bills and are "a
be applied to 9i2 works.
Money Needed for snaERtnE.
In connection with the estimates Gen
eral Blxby. chief of engineers. says in
part:
Liberal appropriations are considered
proper and desirable for snagging and
other work necessary 10 make natural
channels available wherever water-borne
commerce exists or is reasonably prospeo-
such Improvements are almost always
useful and advantageous TO the general
public, especially since tho introduction
and rapid development OF small gasoline
motor boats for combined freight and
passenger transportation. In many cases
II is apparent that the failure TO usa a
waterway Is due not 50 much TO lack OF
channel depth as to the presence OF snags
and other distractions which can be re-
moved at comparatively small cost. thus
making the natural channel depths fully
available throughout the year. When the
boat commerce develops or IT'S require
ments become greater tho existing clear
channel viii be In it's best condition for
further and more expansive improve
ments."
The estimates I'm part follow:
Mississippi River-From head OF passes
TO mouth OF Ohio river. S3.bOO 600; between
Ohio and Missouri rivers, 1900. 900: be-
tween Missouri river and St. Paul, MINI.
apolis. $4,000
State OF Missouri-Missouri river from
Kansas city to mouth. 900: OsagC
river, $1,000; Gasconade river, $4,000.