Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-13
s1S,5OO,OOO IS TOPPED
FROM WATERWAYS BILL
Opposition to Measure in Senate,
However, Is Expected
to Continue.
Senator Burton Explains That OBJ
iections to Vicious Items Still
Are Justified.

The Senate commerce committee yes
terday completed its revision of the
river and harbor appropriation bill. cut
ting the amount carried by that measure
about SlS,50o,000. reducing the total
appropriatisn to about $4,000. coo. Sen
ator Simmons, in charge of the bill,
said that the revised bill probably
would be offered as a substitute for the
measure now before the Senate.
Notwithstanding the big cut made in
the appropriation, Senator Burton OF
Ohio and other republicans who have
been filibustering against the measure
will continue their opposition.
Opposition to Vicious Items.
senator Burton gave out statement
last night explaining his attitude In
part, he said:
The committee il entitled to credit
Tor having sought a temporary reduc-
ton in appropriations, but their action
does NOT meet the objections of the
opponents of the bill. The reductions
MADE do not diminish by more than
few hundred thousands the ultimate
expense OF penuing river and harbor
improvements.
The avowed reason for making the
cut was that another river and harbor
bill would be passed by the first or
March, next. The appropriations, as re-
GuCed. would, in view OF the lateneSS
of the season, be sufficient to carry on
the work until that time.
What the opponents of the bill OBJ
iect to is the vicious items in the meas
ure These are scarcely touched. Such
wasteful items as the Cumberland river
above Nashville, tine ultimate expense
of which would be S4,5ua.o00, a pro-
posed system of locks and dams in the
Tennessee. indefinite in final expendi-
ture. still remain in the bill.
AS an illustration of the action of
the committee, project in Boston
haTbor intended to make it easy and
safe for deep draft boats to~enter, and
an authorization of S1,p0o.ou0 for Phila-
delpha are omitted. while the BraZos
and Trinity rivers CTexas} projects re-
main. Under these circumstances the
opponents of the bill feel compelled
to continue their opposition with a
view to obtaining the elimination of
the glaringly Objectionable items
Expects Approval of Measure.
The members of the committee, how
ever, feel that in making such a large
reduction they have eliminated much
of the feeling in the Senate and at the
White House against the :soriginal
measure. -. -
In making the reductions, the cons
mittee went on the Principle that since
nearly three months OF the present
fiscal year have gone by already, there.
would be no need oil appropriatmg
money to be expended in that period
Also a large proportion of the author
lzations was cut out on the ground tnat
II was not necessary to nave these
authorize tions at this time and they
could be dealt with later. n
Senator Simmons said that of the
S10,ooe.00o of authorizations about
ss.00o,o0o had been eliminated. Th>ss
eliminated include sS,o0v,o0o for the
Ohio river and sl,00O,0uo for the Dela-
ware river The appropriations Tor
the Mississippi river have been cut
from about $4,000, 900 tes$6, 100000.
Boston Harbor to Wait.
The our-hundred-thousand-d dollar item
for the deepening of Boston ma. boz, aas
been stricken out Also the appropria-
ton of 81. 56o, 600 for the purchase of the
Chesapeake and Delaware canal con-
meeting Chesapeake and Delaware bays,
has been stricken out, but the bill au-
thorizes the Secretary of War to,fnake
conditional contract for me puisttase OF
the canal If he can obtain it at a suitable
price. -
Senator Simmons saiastiyatx the appro-
priations for the District of Columbia,
including the Improvement OF Anacostia
flats, had not been changed.
The Senate spent the entire day. de-
batting the river and haroor BILL. Sena.-
long speeches. in opposition TO the bill