The chronicle=news., 1914-10-16
To
LUMP sum
PLAN WATER
PROJECTS

Waa nyton. Oct. 16.-Undis-
mayed by the fate which overlook
the River and Harbor Appropriation
bill in the Senate, and the substitu-
tion of n lump sum" bill Tor one
which had the most careful consid-
GRAFTON at the hands of the Rivers
and Harbors Committee of the House
and Commerce Committee of the Sen
ate. the friends of improving the
rivers and harbors of the country
will make superhuman effort to
pass comprehensive waterway
measure at the short session of Con-
gress which begins December Z.
| Representative Sparkman of Flor
ida, chairman of the Rivers and Har-
bors Committee. discussing the gen.
, eral situation as 1t affects waterway
/ Legislation, said today: THE House
of Representatives, in accepting the
compromise river and harbor bill as
it came from the Senate. did SO.
among other reasons, for the pur-
pose of maintaining the annual feat
ure Of river and harbor legislation
|
craftsmanship of Hon. D. S. Alexan-
der OF New York.
I'VE accepted the Senate bill,
which provides for the expenditure
of twenty millions under the direc-
ton of the Secretary of War and the
supervision of the Chief OF Engin-
GERS. because all of us who are in
| toroatad IN tJa i'm DrCyemapf cg tho
internal waterways of the country
believed 1t was the only way pos
sible to secure the money to prose-
cute the work on many great pro-
jects for waterway improvements
now under way, or, to maintain in
their efficiency those already COM
pleted.
There were many members of
Congress who believed that 1t would
be good policy to allow the compro-
mise measure to fail on the ground
/, that the House bill was not only con-
sentative in character but followed
along the best lines as laid down by
I previous Congresses in the treatment
of the Nations waterways and their
development for commercial uses.
For one l did not entertain this
view. foresaw conditions which
would make further appropriations
for rivers and harbc
upon the within or caprice of men in
public life and | voted to accept
the compromise, for it not only furn-
ishes the money to carry on the work
already begun. but it also continues
the annual bill feature, which. to my
mind, is highly important.
Personally. ] d'sliKed the lump
sum provisions Of the Senate bill and
dislike the theory uoon which the
amendment was enacted into law
for I believe that when we place the
distribution of money as Legislators
in the hands of the administrative
branch Of Government, we abdicate
for the time being. those functions
with which Congress is clothed UNI
der the Constitution. AS representa-
tires of several constituencies,
throughout the Union. which clothe
us with the power to represent them
it Is, my fixed opinion that Congress
should say in unequivocal language
Just how much money should BIZ
spent, and for what definite purpos
es.
81 believe Congress should ordin
arily apportion all sums appropriat
ed for river and harbor work amons
the various projects adopted bv it
With the information at hand, OIL
easily obtainable for intellis gent &C
ton. we are as capable of eXercisins
the function of distributors as thu
Army Engineers. and ! yield to nom
in my admiration for that sDlendit
arm of the military establishment
but the responsibility rests with IL
and we ought not to shirk 1t.
THE bill, which was signed by thu
President early in the week furn
ishes money enough to prosecute thu
work on existing projects unit
March 4, by which time 1t is ex
pected another river and harbor bill
will have been enacted into law
Certainly this will have to be don,
II we are to maintain the policy o
annual bills and are to continue op