The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-04-05
Splendid WORK Of CONGRESSMAN SpARKMAN
oUGH RIVER HARBoR WITHOUT
sENTING 4
sfatea md the Entire Nation
It is seldom that a measure is put

1t is seldom that a measure is put
through the House Of Representatives
at washington, or any other legisla-
tive body, for that matter. without a
dissenting vote being cast. 1t Is his
tory now that on March 10 the House
of Representatives passed. without
dissenting vote the rivers and harbors
bill which was prepared by the COM
mittee of which Congressman Stephen
NJ Sparkman of the first Florida dis
trict, is chairman. AS chairman he
had the greater part of the burden of
making up the measure. 1t was en-
tirely satisfactory to the House, as the
vote attested. Mr.. Sparkman made an
address in support of the bill which
shows his standing with the lower
house of Congress His address as
printed in the Congressional Record is
herewith reproduced in full; it makes
interesting reading:
-4AIfssaspAE4naan~ Id ---~@S -~
Mr.. Chairman: I hope not to con-
sumo all Of the time that has been re-
served for me, and I will ask that I
may proceed without interruption un-
It'll I have made the brief statement
THAT I propose to make touching the
prfvisions in the bill, when 1 will be
glad to reply to any questions that
members may wish to ask concerning
the measure.
| The bill carries $26,22,520. SO in cash
and authorize tion. which is the small
Hest aggregate of any similar measure
brought into this House since that Of
/ 1894 The bill of that year. as intro
1dueed, carried $9,4s1,sS9.56, but that
LOT 1895, the largest up to that time in
the history OF the country, reached the
sum of 62,051 900. From then on they
range in amounts all the way from
sS3.816,138, carried by the bill Of 1907,
the largest ever considered by this
body, down to s31,409,224, the aggre-
lgate OF that of 1911.
i The conservatism which resulted in
1.-The small amount carried by this bill
Twas made advisable in the opinion of
1.-THE committee, on account of treasury
iconditions and consequent desire to
keep the aggregate down to the low
lest amount possible, at the same time
4 the various projects demanding atten-
tion until the next river and harbor
lhill shall have been enacted into law
and was made possible by reason OF
1.-The policy of annual bills inaugurated
1.-TWO years ago.
4 Under that system it is In most cases
} only necessary to appropriate an
amount sufficient to maintain the
work, in case of maintenance, or te
prosecute a project under way for q
iyear Sometimes, as in the present in.
tstance, only for period of eight ol
mine months. At the same time it en-
tables the engineers the better to es-
Itimate the amount necessary to prose
leute the work on a project for the en-
Isuing year and to furnish a safe guide
Ito the committee in the consideration
of a bill Such estimates were made
iby the engineers and were followed
by the committee In the preparation
of the pending measure, their advice
being freely sought wherever doubt:
arose in the minds of the cemmitte,
during It's deliberations. In only a few
instances have the recommendation:
flor cash appropriations made by th'
Iengineers been Increased. In thes'
few cases the increase was made nee
essary on account of changed condi
ttions, the committee ascertaining tina
flor one cause or another the estimate
as furnished by the engineers, wer
itoo small. Among these few are tn
Delaware river below Philadelphia
Isl. JOINS river fIoTlUa, anu " IHEd
Bay, s. c. But We have not in an.
case exceeded the cash estimates an
authorizations combined where con
Itinuing contracts were recommended
lof which there are quite a number i
1.-The book of estimates.
It will be seen. however, that ther
4 is only one provided for in this bill
: land that is for the Ohio river. It wa
declared in the bill of 1910, when tn
Inine-foot project for. the Ohio rive
twas finally adopted, that the improve
il ment should be completed in twelv
: -iyears-meaning, as I understood. tha
lat least the appropriations for II
. Icompletion should all be made With
i THAT time-and although the engineer
had recommended for this bill cas-
appropriation OF ss.2o0.0oe. they fun
p ither suggested an authorization {
$780, 600. But afte. consultation til
II lcommittee found that. without an
Idetriment TO the work or the plan II
Its completion within the time fixed
tine act OF 1910, they could easily g,
laiong with an authorization. in add
> ition to the cash Recommendation.