The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-04-17
River Improvement Work Will 90 on
as Before Under the New Rule
of the Demo-
Gratis.
New Head of Committee Voices His
Ideas of the Work to be Carried
on For Deep Water
ways.
[Gate City Special Service.

Il
WASHINGTON, April 1T see
no reason why the policy of the last
Two years, in the preparation of the
river and harbor appropriation BILL
should be changed" said the new
chairman of the rivers and harbors
committee, Representative Stephen
M. Sparkman, of Florida. who for six
teen years has been a member of con.
gress, and for fourteen years mem
Der OF the committee of which he is
now the ruling head, through the
mutations of politics.
We have embarked upon the
policy of annual river and harbor bills.
to which | am committed and which
think is OF SO much Importance in
river and harbor work that would
not like to see it changed
Il think the various projects here
tofore adopted and to be adopted in
the future, can be better taken care
OF under the policy of annual appro-
priations than any other. I think it
would not be wise to return to the
old plan of biennial or triennial bills,
out of which grew the 'piecemeal'
procedure OF the past.
we have already entered upon
plans for river and harbor improve
ments upon the idea that we are to
/ have annual bins for the improve
mentf OF quite a number Of large pro
Jects and many smaller ones Among
the larger are the Mississippi, the
Ohio and the Missouri rivers, and If
| no change is made and we continue
will, these will all be completed with
in varying lengths of time from twelve
to eighteen years. Along with these
projects are quite number of harbor
projects. which are dependent upon
this feature of annual bills for their
completion within given periods of
time.
Il think the country is to be con
graduated on the personnel of the
committee on rivers and harbors, near
~ all of the older members, men
thoroughly yersed in river and har-
Dor work, being retained while the
new members are equally able and
efficient and greatly interested in
that kind of work
Another gratifying feature is, that
the membership is SO well distributed
throughout the country. each great
section being represented on the com
/ mittee, which 10 me is an earnest of
the national idea which should pre-
! vail in committee dealing with all
! parts of our common country looking
/ tc the comprehensive Improvement OF
] our great natural highways Of trade
and commerce
! There will be no river and har-
+ Dor legislation at this session of con
gress. The committee, however, or
! some part of it will likely pay visits
! 10 various sections of the country for
+ the purpose OF inspecting work under
( way and proposed projects, but just
what sections will be thus visited
3 has not yet been determined, and viii
not be for some little time to come
There will very likely be hearings
! during the present session, certainly
there will be if anyone wishes to be
heard. as the committee will seek to
get all information available for use
in the preparation of bills.
In this connection desire to say
a word in behalf OF the National
Rivers and Harbors congress- whose
campaign Of education in favor OF a
national policy of river and harbol
I Improvement, and in favor OF liberal
annual bills, has been of great benefit
in creating a public sentiment looking
to the needs Of the whole country
along The lines of making our rivers
work and thereby assisting in solu-
tion Of the question of transportation.