Yazoo City herald., 1914-10-23
SENATOR VARDAMAN
On The Yicksburg Harbor Ques-
ti0n.

lump appropriation WHiCh tht ati-
ate adopted threw everything in the
melting pot, it is worthy OF note that
even in the Burton substitute-which,
as well as the committee bill, it dis
placed-the Vicksburg harbor i'm
provement was given special and
favorable consideration. As the Rec
ord relation Of the proceedings viii
interest Vicksburg people, it is quot
ed from. Speaking for the Burton
substitute. the filibustcr lieutenant,
Senator Kenyon, Of Iowa, said:
Again, / think the substitute strikes
out possibly one or two items that
ought not 10 be stricken out be
icvc the harbor at Vicksburg, Miss,
Is a worthy project I am somewhat
familiar with that situation and | do
not think it ought to be out Of the
bill. If there is any amendment
moved to insert that project, ] shall
vote for it.
Mr. Vardaman. Will the senator
from Iowa yield to me for a moment? ?
Mr.. Kenyon. viii finish what !
have to say in just a second.
Mr. Vardaman | want to offer
an amendment to the substitute OF
the senator from Ohio (Mr Burton)
to cure the defect mentioned by the
senator from Iowa.
Mr. Kenyon. ! shall be very grad
to support it. For the reasons !
have stated | shall vote for the Bur
ton substitute.
Hereupon Senator Vardaman offer
ed the following:
Tmproving harbor al Vicksburg,
Miss, in accordance with the report
submitted in house document No. 667.
Sixty-third congress, second session,
and subject to the conditions therein
states, $l25OO0."
Mr.. Vardaman. / wish the senator
from Ohio would accept that amend
ment
Senator Burton demurring, Mr..
Vardaman added: IL wish to say to
the senator that it was inserted by a
very large vote in the house. The
matter has the approval of the Board
OF Engineers, and this appropriation,
| understand, is to be supplemented
by a sum Of money to be--or may be
has been-voted by the city of Vicks-
burg. The banks of the river are cav
ing v9x. much. prQpertX Is being
destroy ID. The caving is taking place
mt a nj. 1t where the v. s, g. =, crosses
the river 1t has occasioned a great
deal of delay in commerce and the de-
struction of great deal of property.
The work must be done now If II is
to be done at all. | submit that no
measure has been presented to this
congress which has more merit in it
than this"
Mr.. Burton. Why can not this be
attended to by the Mississippi River
Commission out of their .appropria-
tion? The bill carries S6,000,OO0 for
that commission.
Mr.. Vardaman. That might be
done, but | would very much rather
that this item should go in as it
came from the house, The work is
to be done and the money disbursed
under the direction of the Mississippi
River Commission. The city Of
Vicksburg is to supplement it, I am
Rdvised, with an appropriation Of
$35,O00
MIR. Burton. Does not the senator
from Mississippi concede that this
picking out of locality along the
river leads to increases in the size
of the bill and leads to the selection
of improvements which are influenc.
ed by favoritism? This may be
all right for Vicksburg, but in some
other case there would not be the
same ground for it. ! have a meas
ure of objection to it because of the
long effort made in the last decade
when chairman Of the rivers and
harbors committee of the house to
have that class of items eliminated.
1t took a great deal Of effort to sue
ceed, and | fear that this would be
retrograde step.
Mr.. Vardaman. l do not think
the senator need entertain any ap.
prehension along that line. Does not
the senator realize that il this matter
is defeated it may possibly be taken
as suggestion to the Mississippi River
Commission not to make this improve.
ment?
Mr.. Burton. How much money Is
the city Of Vicksburg putting up
against it?
Mr.. Vardsman. think the amount