The Sentinel=record., 1913-12-26
RIVER AND HARBORS BILL WILL BE NEXT
DEMoc RATIO CONGRESS PRO POSES TO UNDERTAKE PASS
 AGE OF IT IN JANUARY.
Notwithstanding the Edict to Gut Ap- propriations ito the Bone" the Bill Will Be Reported.

Washington, D. C. Dec. PA River and Harbor Bill, generous in it's pro portions. will be reported and passed during the present session of the 63rd Congress notwithstanding that the or der has gone forth to cut approprla- tions to the bone'
 At a recent meeting of Charimen of House Committees charged with pre- pairing appropriation bills and called at the instance of Speaker Clark, it was most generally agreed that appro- priation bills should be held down tc the actual necessities of the govern ment and the demandsof public works now in process of completion. These conclusions, however. did not go as far as the public press indicates that new projects in the forthcoming river and harbo bill will be noticeable by their absence, the bill carrying ap- propriations for projects already un- der way and studiously ignoring new projects, which have the endorsement of the Chief of Engineers.
 As a matter of fact the members of the River and Harbors Committee expect to see a bill passed that will provide for several meritorious pro- jects
 We will have to have a river and harlor bill at this session to take care of projects for which estimates have been made mp to March 1, 1915 said Chairman & M. Sparkman, of the Rivers and Harbors Committee Of the House. Its difficult to tell at this time what estimates, or if any Of them will be cut. notwithstanding l see in the public prints, that the order has gone forth to pare appropriations 10 fix existing conditions. Our purpose is to keep work moving on harbors and rivers up to the close of the short session of the present Congress which will be March4, 1915. when another river and harbor bill will likely be- come a law
 "It may and doubtless will be found that estimates can be cut in some in- stances. If SO, the committee, of which I have the honor to be chair man. will not hesitate to put in the pruning knife. So far as new pro jects are concerned, the committee has not determined whether, if any. and if any how many, projects will be taken on in the bill which is now in the process of making.
 There is about S00OO.O GOO of new projects not yet adopted. That is, projects that have come into us from the Chief of Engineers. Some of these projects are Very large and number about 75 in all. Our aim will be to take care Of every deserving project in due season, mindful of the condition of the treasury and the de. mands of the public. We want to im- prove our rivers and harbors in most efficient manner but at the same time along economic lines and the committee is moving along those lines.
 Hearings have already been had on improvements needed on the low CT Mississippi, on tn, Sacramento River on a deeper harbor at Beverly. Massachusetts, while the people cfI Memphis, Tennessee are anxious that considerable work should be done at the port Other hearings have in. cIuded improvements on the Sabine and Shawnee and a waterway from the Apalachicola to the Gulf of Mex. ico.
 While the new river and harbor Dill' which will probably be reported the last of January may not be ae large as that of the G2nd Congress believe 1t will be generous in it's pro. portions and keep the work of i'm. proYements on our waterways con. siderably going on"
 It is interesting in this connection to Know that the Chief of Enejnoprs or the the Army estimates that bis department can spend in river and naroor work during the coming wear S'4' zoo'ooo' This amount has been cut "to the bone" so to speak and has peeh pared to meet the demands of speaker Clark and those charged with the responsibility of furnishing the sinews to run the government and Keep up the public work. These es. tlmates are, by no means, as large as shose or 1912 and 1t seems, therefore tair to assume that the river and bar. DOT Dill Of the present session of Con. | gress will amount to about thirty mil lions in round numbers.