Evening journal., 1914-08-03
waterway BUDGET
WILL BECOME LAW
Senator Simmons Positive
Senate Will Pass Bill at
the Present Session
SOME GROUND
FOR CRITICISM
Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.
WASHINGTON. Aug. S.-"The
River and Harbor Appropriation bill
Will pass the Senate during the pre-
sent session" This statement, made
IN the most uneQuivocal manner by
Senator f. NJ. Simmons OF North
Carolina, chairman of the powerful
finance committee and acting chair.
man Of the committee on commerce.
which prepared the waterway bud.
get, gives a new angle to what has
been regarded by the friends Of river
and harbor improvements as a very
serious situation for the bill.
"The opposition to the river and
karbor bill" continued Senator Sim.
mons, is confined to a relatively
small number Of Senators. The
large majority of Senators feel that
it is of the utmost public importance
that the bill should pass and they
have expressed themselves to me in
no uncertain terms-this with no re-
ference whatsoever to party pro-
clivities.
Almost ever since entered the
Senate have been a member of the
Commerce Committee and have taken
an interest in every river and harbor
bill passed since my election TO the
upper branch of Congress, and l can
say without fear of contradiction
that no bill has been more carefully
considered by the Commerce Com
inittee than the one now pending in
the Senate
There are some items in every
bill that may be subject to criticism
from the standpoint of the character
o. the government undertaking.
sin satisfied, however that there are
but few items in the present river
and harbor bill that are subject 10
the criticisms spoken of.
1T is true that the total appropri-
alton carried in the bill is larger than
usual, but there is a well-founded
demand in the country for a broader
policy on the part of the government
for the Improvement Of our water
ways, demand justified by the high
consideration OF sound public
policy.
THE large part of the river and
harbor bill is for the improvement
of our harbors both on the Atlantic
and Pacific seaboards, and on the
Great Lakes, including the river ap-
| proaches to these harbors. II is
well known fact that our harhors
have not been improved as they
should have been and that the open
| ing OF the Panama Canal imposes
upon Congress the duty OF greater
activity and liberality in the inn
| proyement of these harbors.
The bill deals more literally with
! the Mississippi river than other bills
! but il is felt that this wise policy is
/ imperatively demanded by the coun-
! try which has been emphasized by the
/ devastating foods of recent years
/ The bill deals more literally with the
/ inter-coastal system of waterways
| than former bills, but this Is a
scheme that has been thoroughly
! thought out, and on which sentiment
has been crystallized.
Some persons have criticised pro-
! iects in the bill located in distant
/ sections of the country, but these
persons have made no criticism Of
projects located in their immediate
vicinity. The small projects in the
bill, when all the facts are known,
compare favorably in importance.
within the territory affected, with the
! larger projects.
! "The failure Of the present river
and harbor bill would, within a few
months, stop work on more than half
the projects provided for in the
measure. Harbor improvements
would largely cease. The Mississippi
river system would be almost aban-
doned and great damage would be
done to the machinery employed upon
the several works
"I have tried to keen in close touch
with the Senate throughout this ses-
sion and, knowing the sentiment that
prevails as TO the merits of the river
and harbor bill. feel confident the
pending bill will pass at this session
of Congress"