Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-01-10
RIVER and HARb0R
APPROPRIATION BILL
SHOULD Be PASSED.

| WASHINGTON, Jan. lO-Oscar
Underwood, floor leader of the house
and chairman of the ways and means
committee, is not at all sure that
river and harbor legislation will be
undertaken at this session. He pre-
dicates his doubt on the fact that
there is now an estimated deficit in
the treasury for this fiscal year OF
$4,000. 000-and on the recent legis.
lation affecting pensions. He frankly
says that if the Sherwood bill as
passed by the house, is permitted
to stand, it would SO cripple the
treasury that no new projects or ex-
penditures could be authorized, leav-
ing public buildings and rivers AMI
harbors to another session, except
for projects already under continuing
! contracts.
81 have been a friend of waterways
| for years." said Mr.. Underwood today
land will continue to take a most
! friendly interest in the development
of our rivers and harbors. but the
democratic party cannot leave the
treasury depleted, which it will be
if the appropriations asked for are
forthcoming at the hands of Con-
gresa.
1.-The Sherwood bill, if it should be-
come a law in it's present form,
would add to the pension budget
about $60,O0O,O0O. which, with the
amount now annually appropriated,
about 100000 900, would come pretty
near bankrupting the government. 1t
is obvious therefore that if legislation
of this kind should be enacted it is
wholly out of the question to think
of any other legislation to make pro-
vision for such expenditures as are
absolutely necessary for the conduct
of the government.
II doubt the propriety of submit
ting to the caucus the question of
whether there should be river and
harbor bill at this session of con-
gress My judgment is that the mat
ter should be left with the chairman
and members of the rivers and har-
bors committee who will have first
hand knowledge of conditonwhnth
hand knowledge of conditions when
they have their bill ready for intro
duction and report.
"Of course it will be some time
before their bill is ready. They will
undoubtedly have hearings and go
over the situation carefully before
bringing in a bill, which must, in
the very nature of things, be pared
as closely as possible. In fact I think
it would be good business judgment
to keep appropriations for new pro-
jects entirely out of such bill and
provide only for the continuance Of
those projects which have been al
ready sanctioned by law.
speaking for myself am in favor
of conservative river and harbor
bill if we have money in the treas.
ury to meet the demands upon us,
but in the event We find the treasury
drifting toward a deficit then I will
oppose any legislation that will has
ten such a catastrophe. What we
need most at this time is safeness
and saneness in matters of legislation
as we do in matters of business"
Failure to pass rivers and harb-
ors bill at the present session would,
in the opinion of those who have
given careful study to the subject,
put back the cause of waterway i'm
provements at least five years. It
would virtually compel the National
Rivers and Harbors Congress to be-
gin all over again the nationwide
educational campaign for broad and
comprehensive policy of waterway
betterments which it has maintained
for ten years.