The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-05
RIVERS 8 HARBORS 10 PASS SENATE E
 EFORE CLOSURE

Vvasfdinxtor, Aug 4-ss,rhe River and Harbor Appropriation bill will pass the Senate during the present ses- sion. This statement. made in the most ufaeouivoeai manner by Senator F. M. Simmons, of North Dakota, the chairman Of the powerful Finances GonarnAttee and acting Chairman Of the Committee on Commerce, which pre- pared the eateryvay baldget glves 2 new angle to what has been regarded by the friends of river and harbor inn provements very serious situation for the bill
 .sThe opposition to the river and har- bor biI 2. continued Senator Simmons. lis confined to a relatively small mum Der of senator's The large m ajority of the senators feel that 1t is of the ut most public importance that the bill Eshould pass and they have expressed themselves to me in no uncertain terms this with no reference whatever to. 1 party procltvfties.
 l Almost ever since entered the Sen late have been member of the Com meree Committee and have taken an interest in the river and harbor bill passed since my election to the upper I bfanch of Congress. and can say 1 without fear of contradiction that no | biIl has been home carefully consider- f ed by the Cornrnerce CoInmittee than Ithe one now pending in the Senate.
 There are some items in every bill I that may De subject to criticism from lthe standpoint of the character of the bgovernrnent undertaking. I am satis- flied, however. that there are but few items in the present river and harbor bill that are subject to the criticisms I spoken of.
 .tIt is true that the total appropria.- Etion carried in the bill is larger than
 usual. but there is a well founded de- Imand in the country for broader pol I icy on the part of the Government for l the Improvement of our waterways, a. idemand Justified by the high consider I a$ion of a sound public policy,
 .sTyhe large part of the river and
 harbor bill is for improvement of our harbors both on the Atlantic and Pa sE cific seaboards. and on the Great
 Lakes. including the river approaches to these harbors. 1t is a we'll known I improved as they should have been and that the opening Of the Panama lCanal imposes upon Congress the duty fof greater activity and lfberaIity in the 1 improvement of these harbors.
 .sThe bill deals more HberaI1y with I the Mississippi river than other bills, but it is felt that. this wise policy is
 irnperatively demanded by the country l which has been emphasized by the de- I vastating floods Of recent years. The
 bill deals more Iibera11y with the in- tercostaI system of waterways than
 
 has been thoroughly thought out, and sl on which sentiment has been crystal liked
 Some persons have criticized pro- jtcts in the bill located in distant sec Il tons of the country, but these per sons have made no criticism of pro l jects located in their immediate vi a cfnfty. The small projects in the bill
 when all fhe facts are known. compare
 favorably in importance within tho
 territory affected. with the larger pro. l4 jects.
 The failure of the present river an, 1harbor bill. would. within few months, stop work on more than hal
 the projects provided for on the meas
 nre. Harbor improvements would u a large extent, cease. The Bissis sippi river system would be alnos
 abandoned and great damage would be done to the nachinery employed : upon the s9HGfA1 works. T have tried to keep in close toucl {, with the Senate throughout this ses sion. and. knowing the sentiment tI1a ,. prevails as to the merits Of the rive . ,. and harbor bill. I feel confident tn ;, bill will pass this session of Congress.