Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1914-08-15

Efforts are being made to have con
gress act on waterway measures that
will benefit local waters. Work on the
rivers and harbors bill remains suspend
ed while the legislators are working in
dustriously for bettering transporta'
tiou facilities between this and Euro
pean countries. 1t is endeavored to
have the rivers and harbors bill rushed
through the senate as soon as the com
merce problem has been disposed of. In
event the original bill is not passed,
favorable action may be taken upon an
emergency rivers and harbors bill. Ap-
plieation has been made to the chief of
engineers to have an appropriation of
100000 included in that bill for the
benefit of the waterways in this sec
ton, which include the waters between
this state and Staten Island
Indications are that the emergency
bill be passed and according to word re-
ceived from Washington, that would in
clude only the operation of existing
government plants This would mean a
suspension of operations on waterway
improvement hereabouts, as 1t would al
low for the operation Of only govern
ment dredges, such as are now work
ing in the Delaware river.
Secretary James N. Stout, of the
Staten Island Sound Deep Waterways
Association, of 10 Wall street, New
York, has notified Mayor Garretson here
and others interested in the waterway
Improvement project, of the condition
OF affairs. He wrote as follows to May
or Garretson:
"Hon. Ferd Garretson,
"Perth Amboy, N. J,
"Dear Sir
t'All work in Congress on the rivers
and harbors bin remains suspended; the
trust legislation, which had the right OF
way in that. body, has also been set
aside temporarily in order that the pro
posed act to Provide for the admission
Of foreign built ships to American reg
istry for foreign trade and for Other
purposes may be enacted into law with
the least possible delay When these
measures have been passed and sent to
conf the rivers and harbors bill
can again be taken up and pushed
through the Senate, provided quorum
is maintained in that body.
asWe have made application to the
Chief of Engineers asking that our halt
million dollar appropriation be included
in the emergency bill, which Congress
will be likely to pass in lieu of the
present bill, should it be decided not te
pass the latter at this session, and te
which we have received the following
raply:
y It is presumed that if the Depart
a lis asked for estimates on an EN-
ergency bill the request will be for es
Inmates necessary for the maintenance
of existing projects only, or possibly tt
include the operation of Government
plant. Should such request be recelv
ed it will be apparent that an estimate
such as YOU ask for could not be In
cluded.'
ffFrom this it will be seen that an
emergency rivers and harbors bill woui'
enable the Government to continue new
work where the Government has its owr
plant. as for instance, the Delaware
River, where there are several Govern
ment dredges now at work, but, at
there are no Government dredges al
work in our channel, operations there
would come to standstill.
Notwithstanding the opposition te
the bill. the writer 8 impression is thai
It will be passed at this session and
signed by the President This feeling
is predicted upon information obtained
in Washington last week both from the
friends of the bill and its opponents.
"Yours truly,
HJAMES. n STOUT,
Secretary