Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-10-13
Washington Harbor improvements

Congressman Albert Johnson is
now patting himself on the back be.
cause the Board Of Army Engineers
has allotted about $4,000 Of the $780,.
100000 appropriation for rivers and
harbors to improvement projects in
his district.
It is matter Of congratulation that
the river and harbor improvement
projects in this State have Jared so
we'll in the allotment OF the limited
funds at the disposition of the Board
OF Army Engineers but Congressman
johnson is not entitled to any cred
1t for it. He opposed the appropria-
ton of s2O,OOo,0Oo and in an impas-
stoned speech on the floor Of the
House urged the cutting Of the ap.
preparation of 100000, just to show
his opposition to the retrenchment
policy of Congress. If Mr.. Johnson
had succeeded in cutting the appro-
priation to $5.O0O,OO0, no work would
have been done on any rivers and
harbors projects in this State except
as were already under contract. The
appropriation of which he is now
Boosting were made in spite of his
efforts instead of through his efforts.
Johnson's attitude in claiming cred
1t for an appropriation after he had
tried to defeat it on par with his
conduct in denouncing Wilson's Mex
lean policy and then telegraphing to
Governor Lister and Offering to en-
list and go to the front to fight for
a cause he had denounced. He seems
to take delight in short-circuiting
himself.
Friends of Congressman Johnson
are complaining because criticisms
have been made of his course in con-
nection with the Grays Harbor and
Willapa Harbor Improvement projects.
They express the belief that Mr..
johnson did all he could for those
measures.
If Mr.. Johnson made fight for
the measures in which his district
Is SO vitality interested, why does he
not frank his speeches on that sub.
ject to his constituents. He has
flooded the district with his speech
es on Mexico, with his attacks upon
President Wilson's foreign policy,
with his verbal assault upon Vice
president Marshall, and with his ora
tory on all sorts OF miscellaneous top
les, but he has failed to send out his
speeches in the House or below the
committee in support OF the rivers
and harbors improvements demanded
and required by his district.
1t Is certain that the people OF
Southwest Washington were more in
terested in their harbor improvement
plans than they could have been in
any of the subjects on which Mr..
Johnson Grated so fluently and YER
bosely through the columns of the
Congressional Record. The Tribune
has printed the public record showing
Mr.. Johnson's part in the Grays Har-
Dor improvement project. Mr.. John.
son told the House committee on
rivers and harbors that all he wanted
for Grays Harbor was an appropria-
ton for q survey and maintenance.
Apparently he did not know that the
survey had been made, under an ap-
preparation secured by Congressman
Warburton for that purpose and that
the Board of Army Engineers had
recommended the extension of the
jetty at an estimated cost of $780,
600. Mr. Johnson contented himself
with asking that something be done
which had been done before he went
to Washington and done for an i'm
provement at the very door of his
home. Possibly he should not be
criticised for failing to frank that
part of his record to his constituents.
Tacoma Tribune.