The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-04-05

$2,200.o00, which We have given. r
wish it distinctly understood. howev-
er-and in saying this I but voice the
Sentiment of the entlre committee
that in thus redueing5the amount rec
commended for contract authorization
we did not intend to abandon the PLAN
for the completion ofsthis great work
within the time specified.
In fixing the amount for each item,
whether relating to an existing or
new project, the committee has had in
mind the fact that only eight OF nine
months will elapse before another bill
will be presented and enacted into law,
which must be done not later than the
4th of March of next year. when addi-
tionaf funds can and Doubtless will be
provided for each uncompleted project
or such as can not be completed with
funds heretofore authorized. Then, too,
projects not now considered, whether
on account Of the necessity for conser-
vatism in the matter of appropriations
or for otner reasons. may be again
presented to the committee and thru
it to Congress.
We have not considered favorably
all the projects that have been here
tofore submitted to Congress or to this
committee. When we began the prep
aratien of this bill we found some
thing like 135 new projects awaiting
consideration by the committee and by
Congress, the whole aggregating some
| thing like s65,000.000. OF this number
we have only taken care of fifty-four
| in the pending measures but the
amount involved is much more than
the aggregate : of those remaining,
some eighty-1ve in number That is
to say, while We have considered ia
vorably only little more than one
third Of the relatively recent projects
now before Congress, the amount rec
commended to complete the fiftyfour
tadopted constitutes nearly two thirds
of the whole We have. for instance,
|.adepted projects the appropriations for
which, however, are small, amounting
to something like 100000, leaving
only about $24ooo.ooo now before Con-
gress yet to be considered.
In selecting those embraced within
the bill we have been governed en-
tirely by the urgency and relative Inn
portance of the projects considered
from the standpoint of the commerce.
leither present or prospective, to be ao-
tcommodated, and believe that we have
made few, If any, mistakes. Certain
committee has endeavored to select
wisely, intending, of course, to give
further consideration to the projects
omitted from the present measure in
the preparation of the next bill. In
the consideration Of this, as in those
which have preceded it, the eornmit-
tee on rivers and harbers have treated
each Individual project alone uDon its
merits without regard to section, To-
cality, or outside pressure OF any kind
And right here 1T may not be inn
proper to advert to criticisms leveled
at the rivers and harbors committee
and at Congress, not so frequently OF
late, however, as in years gone by
| that these bills are pork-barrel meas
. ures; that the log-rolling element en-.
ters into their consideration. This
charge: whenever or wherever made
!, is strictly unjust and without founda.
. tion. No project has ever been adopt.
ed within the range of aay experience
and observation as member OF the
trivers and harbers committee, cover
; ing a period of sixteen years, for any
other reason than that of the CONNER
, cial advantages to accrue to the eoun
try by the doing Of the work called
, for in the project considered. Gap
tz
l ttime We have provided for hundreds @
projects. involving an expenditure o
, 1923 100000 and ranging all the wa.
4 | from those Of greater magnitude. lik
the harsors of New York and Bostol
e and long stretches OF river like tn
. mississippi and the Ohio, to small
$ streams and less preteutiaus harbors
e but whether great OF small the onf
r thought has been the commerce to b
: benefited by the money appropriate
e or authorized. II, incidentally, mem
t bers were pleased or eonstituencie
$ gratifed, so much the better; bu
n these considerations did not, and hAv
s mot. influenced US in the adoption c
h projects or in determining the amount
: appropriated therefor. Let me furthe
e say, Mr.. Chairman. that We have don
e the best We could In the selection c
V the items which have gone into thi
II bill and in fixing the amounts appre
n priated or authorized, and if there
It anyone who sees. or thinks he see
+ ground for criticism now Is the tim
II to raise his voice or else hereafter ho1