New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-22
Congress Expected To Be
Generous, Despite Cry
of Economy.
$50, 100000 ASKED FOR
UNADOPTED PROJECTS
Army Engineers Want S34,200,.
600 for Coming Year-Some
Cutting Down Done.
From The Tribune Bureau.

Washington. Dec. N.--Despite the gen.
orally understood plan of the Democrats
in Congress to hold down all approprs-
tions II is confidently predicted by MEM
bers of the National Rivers and rIarbors
Congress that there will be q generous
river and hsrbor bill passed By Congress
At the present session. the measure TO
provide for number Of new projects
we will have TO have n river and har-
Dor bill at this session to take care Of
projects for which estimates have been
made up to March I, 1915" said Chairman
s. NJ. Parkman of the Rivers and Har-
bors Committee OF the House. ut is dim
cult TO tell at this time what estimates or
If any OF them, will be cut. notwithstand
ing that ! see in the public prints that
the order has gone forth to pare appro-
priations TO fit existing conditions.
Our purpose is TO keep work moving
on harbors and rivers up TO the close VI
the short session OF the present Congress,
which will be March 4. 1915. when another
river and harbor bill will likely become a
law.
May Use Pruning Knife.
1T may. and doubtless will, be found
that estimates can be cut I'm some in
stances II so. the committee Of which
have the honor 10 be chairman VIII not
hesitate TO put in the pruning knife. so
far as new projects are concerned, the
committee has not determined whether, II
any. and II any how many. projects will
be taken on in the bill which lie now in
the process OF making.
There are about ss0.O00oco of new prof.
Gets not yet adopted-that is, projects
that have come to us from the chief Of
engineers Some OF these projects are
very large and there are about seventy
five in all. Our aim will De 10 take care
of every deserving project in due season.
mindful OF the condition of the Treasury
and the demands of the public. We want
to improve our rivers and harbors in 3.
most efficient manner. but at the same
time along economic lines, and the COM
mttee is moving along those lines.
Hearings have already been held en-
improvements needed on the lower Mis-
sssippi. on the Sacramento River and Oh
a deeper harbor at Beverly, Mass, While
the people Of Memphis, Tenn, are anN-
ious that considerable work should he
done at that port. other hearings have
included improvements OH the Sabine and
Shawnee, and a waterway from the APP
palachicola TO the Gulf Of Mexico.
Liberal Bill Predicted.
While the new river and harbor Dill,
which will probably be reported the last
of January. may not be as large as that
of the SD Congress. ! believe 1t VIII be
generous IN its proportions and keep the
work of improvements on our waterways
going on.
1T is interesting IN this connection 10
know that the chief Of engineers OF the
army estimates that his department can
spend I'm river and harbor work during
the coming year s3i 10000. This amount
has been cut TO the bone, so TO speak
and has been pared 10 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 estimates are by no means as
large as those of 1872 and II seems, there
fore. fair to assume that the river and
harbor bill OF the present session OF Con-
gress will amount 10 about thirty millions
in round numbers