Middletown transcript., 1914-08-01
Ulr aHtnnIstunn Uranarrtrt
a1DDLETOwN, DEL, AUG I, 1914
PURCHASE OF CANAL

PURCHASE OF CANAL
FRIENDS of the plan under which the
! government is to purchase the
Chesapeake and Delaware waterway
and convert it into ship canal as q
part of the intra-coastal waterway
system so long advocated by the At
lantic Deeper Waterways Association
are somewhat alarmed by reports from
Washington of a determined fight
against the rivers and harbors bill
which carries an appropriation for the
canal. Republican leaders, aided by q
few Democrats, are boastfully -declar-
ing that their fight is won, and Senator
Kenyon, leader of the opposition, is
quoted as saying that he does not be-
lieve the river and harbor bill will be
passed at the present session.
According to the present program,
the antitrust measures must be first
disposed of, and then the river and
harbor bill be brought up for final con-
sideration. AS it will take some time
to consider the antitrust legislation,
plenty Of opportunity will be afforded
the friends of the river and harbor
measure to work for its passage. The
dissent to the rests upona large num-
ber of appropriations provided for in
significant streams in remote and al
most unknown parts of the country the
pork barrel distribution-al always ac-
companied by log rolling.
Mr.. Kenyon and his associates profess
that they wish to check the extrava-
gance and waste of the Democrats, and
they say they have no intention of in
terfering with the meritorious appro-
priations in the bill. 1t is quite true,
as Mr.. Kenyon says, that large per
centage of the money expended on
rivers and harbors has been wasted.
The point however, that concerns Della
ware and the friends of the Deeper
Waterways Association is whether their
project will be considered praiseworthy
and the advocates of the canal purchase
must be keenly watchful to see that in
the cutting and slashing and the fill
buster against the passage Of the bill
their measure does not suffer.
1t will be recalled that the important
Improvement which calls for the pur-
chase of the Chesapeake and Delaware
Canal has received the approval of ex-
perts employed by the government and
of special commissions. 1t has been
advocated by large and representative
bodies of business men. Years have
elapsed since the matter was first agi-
tated, and it was supposed that the
efforts Of the supporters of the
project were, about to be crowned with
success. The Senate committee has re-
ported in favor of the sum required for
the purchase of the canal, and all that
is necessary is for the Senate to pass
the bill with this amount unchanged.
The House, it has been thought, would
agree to the altered fgures.o of the Sen
ate. The Senators representing the
states interested, therefore, should urge
the passage of the bill, with some of
the Objectionable features eliminated,
but with the provision for acquiring the
canal retained.
Senator Ransdell, who spoke in Viii
mington some time ago, is chairman Of
the Senate's committee on rivers and
harbors, and he is believed to be heartily
for the purchase of the canal. He has
made a long and thorough study Of
waterway development, and he declares
that the commercial interests of the
country are liable to serious injury if the
river and harbor bills fails Of passage
at the present session of Congress.
Morning NeeCs.