The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-02
WANT EARLY REPORT ON HARBORS BUDGET

Washington, Jan. 2. - Chairman Sparkman will call meeting of the Rivers and Harbors Committee imme- diately upon the resumption of the session of the House, with view to an agreement for an early report on the annual bill making appropriati tion for waterway improvements.
 Consideration of the measure has not yet reached such a stage as to 1ndI- cate what will be the size of the bill, except that, from expressions of mem
 bers of the committee, it will nearly approximate the necessities of provis- ion for continuing contracts, mainten- ance and OutIays for such public works as are of obvious and impera- tive importance in carrying forward t7ze progressive policy adopted by Con gress responsive to widespread pub lie opinion.
 Both the Rivers and Earbors com mittee of the House and the Commerce committee of the Senate gave hearings during the ante-ho1iday period of the session, notably during the presence in Washington of members of the Ma tiona1 Rivers and Harbors Congress. The work of the two committees has thus far been almost wholly given to these hearings. and but few more mittee, will be had before the bill is reported to the House, as it is plan ned shall be done early in the remain ing days of the session.
 During the meeting of the national waterways association the first week in December, delegations from that or ganization were heard by the two conn nittees of Congress on problems af- fecting the larger inland waterways, notably the Mississippi and Ohio riv CTS.
 two rivers, advocates of improvements laid stress upon the desirability and importance of the federal government taking over the entire scheme of i'm provement and abandoning the local cooperative practice on the Mississip- pi River, particularly in Ievee inn provenents and on the upper Ohio, at the junction of the A1legheny and MonogaheIa rivers, involving lock and dam construction and flood prevention projects.
 The hearing on the Mississippi riv- CTS difficulties, in the discussion of the 1evee problem, disclosed that To- cal eo-operation in Ievee work had made excellent progress up to the dis extent of the vast destructiveness of which convinced all interests that the safest dependence to prevent the recur- renee of these numerous disasters, is for the federal government to be giv- en complete control of the construc- tion and care of the 1evee of the great water highway. It was particularly emphasized that the speediest possible inprovemen in accord with the pol icy was now more than ever mani festIy the most vita1Iy important of all sf1Ver prOJectS Tn Ihe view Of the approaching completion and opening to the commerc of the world of the Pan ana Canal.
 The estimates from the engineers, of the army for all river and haribor inn provernents call for the expenditure of about. $44, ,000 900. There are millions more, already involved in former rec At the first meeting of the Rivers and Harbors committee after the holidays an effort will be made looking to an adjustment of the indicated, and pairing the as far as possible to an equit- able. basis of distribution, keeping in mind always the two considerations of public economy and the superior importance of public works already projected or commenced.