Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-03-22
WATER WAY BILL
GOOD ONE SAYS
NELSON
Late Chairman Of Senate Com.
merce Committee Believes
Measure Remarkably Free
from Objectionable Fea-
lures.

speciaI CoFsesRsnaenre a. ths Heratd1
Washington. March si--'rhc ru-
NOR that President TAFT had prepared
o veto message on the river and har-
Dor hill. or az least had directed See
rotary stlmson TO prepare such a
veto because OF certain objectionable
features Of special legislation the bill
contained. II now authenticated by
an unimpeachabie authority. But
when President Tart came 10 examine
the measure closely. with the aid of
General BiNhy. CHIEF of the corps 81
engineers ana saw that the legisla.
ton TO which exception was taken
had been eliminated In conference,
the veto was destroyed and the pres
ideriial signature 81 approval a.
tached
senator Knute Nelson. hate chair
man Of the committee on commerce.
who has been O member of the com
mittee for eighteen years. and during
that period has been ~ invaluable
assistance ~ the preparation OF river
and hRrhor bills. does not hesitate to
say that, IN his judgment the bill
making appropriations Tor river and
harbor work. which became law in
the early hours ~ March Z. IN irccr
from objections than any bill ne has
had to do with since he became U
member of the commerce committee.
| TN t. three wears ago said sem
/ ator Nelson IN "a review of the river
| ana hprbOr hill at l9l3, I'VE had
spasmodlc bills TOR river and harbor
Improvement Very frequently two
years would eo by and often three
years elapsed before river and harhor
bills were passed.
Those bills. under that system.
were subject to criticism in that thry
piled up appropriations tor few
! large projects Go tho exclusion uf 90
| LOT Of small but deserving projects
| that had grcni dsal of commerce.
Then there was another objection tu
! those int, rmlttcut bills iu those DAYS
| 1T it WIS desirable tu initiate mes
| improvements, the FIRST step would
be 60 order preliminary oNnminI-
ton and survey. with the result that
such o. long della, ,nSUod, between
! bills. thai b. TOOK from three Go four
II
torious project
"Thrc, years uso. under the huuso
l chairmansnip ct Ma Alexander OF
| New York congress iuagruttt'd Oh"
plan Of having moderate annual bills
for river and hurbor work ana 81
L recognizing not only tho larger pro-
iccts hut also the smaller mcritori'us
4 ones those in which n small cVpondI
turc ~ money would lead to immr-
| diatr and direct results. Ana Wh'r"
Il was the purpose 90 InluEw"tc new
4 projects survey could 10, ordered
ono year. ana b. the report was favor
able appropriations could ho made
and work started th" most N,af.
"A number OF the appropriations
| IA tho river and hrTbpI bin Vhirn
became "a law iu the closing hours of
4 congress are Tor the Improvement Of
so-callcd creeks when, on their face
might indicate that II was money
wasted 90 make the improvement 1u'
thoTiEcd. but as &C. matter of fact
these creeks az" tidal streams and
carry. Ia many eases, % vast com
mcrcc needing only a httlc drcigng
the strengthening of channel ur the
removal nf "a sand bar az limited oN'
pcnsc. 10 make them still greater ar
ltcTicg for the handling Of IN" tram,
Originating upon then.
In these annual bills. too. Their,
has been q strict adherence 20 th'
accommodation of tn" ongincei
force OF the war department As q
rulc no appropriation has been made
for any project not tavorlbly recon-
mcnded ot estimated for hy th" wal
dcpartmcnt through the chief "f en-
ginccTs.
owing Co the great floods on th'
Mississippi tho past year aud th'
great damage done the lcycos au'
lrevotment work, larger npproprl9
Itions than usual had tn he made fo
Itho Improvement Of the Father @
/ Waters from cape Girardciu 90 th
Head ~ the Passes NcNt 90 the Mis-
sisFipm the ohio river uhsorbs lurg
share OF the appropriations As
matter uf fact the Dhm Is hcin
canalizcd by the construction of ntty
-four locks ana dams, ana when com
plctcd viii Dc most perfect cNtmpl
OF what river can de- loo the WAY %
transporting bulky and heavy fr"igh
at small cost.
Then there are tho great maroon
like Sew York, Boston ana othc
places which need liberal oppropriH
lions ns we'll us thc entire AtiHnil
aboard aud tho gulf coast
p outside of the Mississippi am
ohio rivers and the waters OF Nc'
York hurbur. the rivers and harbur
! Of TcNn- absorb tho urcutcst amour
Of the appropriations carried IN Nh