New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-02-25
ROW OVER PORK Barrel"
New Publicity Plan OF House
Democrats Fails to Work.
CORRESPONDENTS PROTEST
Appropriation Bill Carries $685.
00,000-New York Fares
Well, Says Driscoll.
IFrom The Tribune Bureau

IFrom The Tribune Bureau
washington, Feb. 24-The unsophistcat-
ed Democrats of the House, finding them
selves suddenly in control of the legislative
machinery, have shown peculiar ideas OF
the value Of news and its dissemination, H.
indeed, they recognize news item wheh
they see it, Washington correspondents
were painfully reminded Of this fact to-
DAY. when the Rivers and Harbors COM
mittee. after much travail. completed Its
appropriation bill Having finished that
pork barrel" measure, the Democrats MT
on a most extraordinary plan 10 make pub
lie I'm advance Of the actual report the So
uent features Of the bill A resolution was
solemnly passed providing that each men,
her of the committee might furnish to the
newspapers In his own state the list Of APP
preparations for that state but no others.
AS there are forty-eight states and only
fwenty-one members Of the Rivers and
Harbors Committee, the resolution ga
severe Jolt to those unfortunate correspond
ents who had no member on the commit
tee For instance, a Texas correspondent
who also represented a Kentucky newspa-
per. found no difficulty in obtaining the
Texas items from the Lone Star State
member OF the committee.
Now. how about Kentucky rivers?"
asked the correspondent. intent upon COM
plotting both jobs at once
"oh, couldn't possibly tell You about
Kentucky. you know" said the member.
I'VE are Just permitted to give out our
own state"
In view Of this unprecedented resolution
numerous correspondents were running
ful,t ,of,. cto 20
was not represented on the committee and
no member from another state cared a
continental about publicity concerning ap-
preparations for any other part of the
country. Those correspondents who were
so fortunate as to have "a member on the
committee received elaborate descriptions
of the appropriations for this creek and
that, with the hint that these amounts
were secured through the valiant efforts
OF the local Representative.
why, that plan absolutely cuts off the
press associations who have to cover the
whole country" Indignantly protested one
correspondent.
Cant help II, that is the rule" said the
solemn Democrat To end the squabble
Chairman Sparkman late to-day consented
20 make public some of the principal
items In the bill, in order TO put the cor
respondents somewhat on an equal footing.
Total of s26,oooooo.
The bill. carrying approximately s260oO,-
900. win be reported on Monday. OF the
above amount about S19,OOO,OOO is for the
maintenance Of existing projects. and of
the total appropriations the Mississippi and
its tributaries receive almost one-half.
The items for improvements OF New York
harbors and streams are as follows: New
i York Harbor, Ambrose Channel. 100000;
East River and He'll Gate, 100000; Buffalo
Harbor. S624,75O Black Rock Harbor. $780,
600; Niagara River. $1,000; Newtown Creek.
$4,000; East Chester Creek, $4,000; Ogdens-
burg Harbor, $4,000; oswego Harbor, $751;
OOo sheepshead Bay. $780, Harlem River,
$4,000; Port Chester Harbor, $4,000; Port
jefferson Harbor. 5000; Matinicock Har-
Dor. $4,000; Flushing Bay, $1,000; Saugerties
Harbor, $500, and Rondout Harbor, $1,000.
Representative Daniel A. Driscon the
New York member of the Rivers and Har-
bors Committee, asserted tonight that the
appropriations for the Empire State were
liberal, considering the comparatively small
total OF the bill.
Among the principal authorizations car
"
Ohio River. 100000 the Mississippi River,
S3.5OO,O0O; the Missouri River. $4,000; the
Delaware River. including Philadelphia
Harbor. $4,000; the Tennessee River.
$4,000 for the purchase of the Albemarle
and Chesapeake Canal, $4,000: Biscayne,
Bay, Miami, Fla. 100000; Columbia River.
S,6O0,0O0; Portland Harbor. Maine, 100000:
Boston Harbor sl65,O0O; James River, Vir-
ginia, $4,000; Cooper River, South Caro-
lima, $l75,0 Savannah Harbor, 800, 900; Sa-
vannah River. below Augusta, $40, 900: Mo-
bile Harbor, $500. 900; St Johns River, Flor
ida, 100000 Galveston Harbor $4,000; Cal
weston channel, 100000; Trinity River,
Texas, $4,000; Ouachita and Black rivers,
Arkansas and Louisiana, $4,000; Toledo
Harbor, $4,000; st. Mary's River, Michigan,
$4,000; Oakland Harbor, California, $780,
ooo and Humboldt harbor and bay, Cali
fornia, 100000
Lower Than in Many Years.
Representative Sparkman, of Florida,
chairman Of the committee, said:
The present bill is much lower than in
many years This was made desirable by
reason of the treasury conditions and pos
sible by the policy adopted i'm 1910, which
enabled the engineers to estimate within a
fair degree of eXactness the amount of
money that could Judlclously be expended
each year. Although this bill is relatively
small all the projects have been fairly
treated. No work now going on need sion
and work on new projects begun can be
prosecuted without cessation until March
next. when II is expected additional
amounts will be furnished where necessary
for the ensuing year.
ART EXHIBITIONS AND SALES.
m