Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-10-08
GET 100000 AS
PART S3,75O,OOO
UNEMPLOYMENT
Mississippi Receives Biggest
Single Sum OF $4,000
600 Appropriation.
70 START CONTRACT WORK
Marcy Given fer Improvement OF Up
ger Stream Nears Estimate
Made sy Major Hoffman.

The Mississippi river commission
,aes.ved the largest single allotment
- The $4,000. 900 river and harbor ap-
--ou-iatiou passed last week and the
.-o.ut 10 be expended on the work
vbieh is conducted on the upper
cream through the government en-
cheers Office in this city, has been
fixed at 100000.
The sum IN the local allotment is
vs-v near the estimate made by Major
z n Hoffman, chief engineer in
sarge OF this district, when IL became
t11u-u that an emergency bill would
IrEelv be passed. The 100000 will
-sr-1it the extension OF existing con-
.-scts and viii in no way affect the
mans recently made for furthering the
Improvement on the upper stream The
fssissippi river commission receives
$4,000
Major Hoffman this morning receiv-
Cd a message from the chief of army
engineers al Washington in which it
as stated that the allotment for work
on the upper Mississippi was fixed at
$500. 600
Contract Work Begins.
When the bill was assured, work
~ the government plant started and
i progressing nicely now, but the ex-
tent OF thecOntract WORK at that time
depended largely upon amount OF al
lotueut. With the apportionment near
" equal TO the estimate Major Hon
nan made some time ago. the con
tract work Is possible and this morn
ing contractors all along the river
made haste 10 start their men at work
at the various projects OF which they
have charge.
The number Of men employed in the
contract work Will nearly equal the
number employed directly in the gov
eminent work, and it is thought that
within a short time, nearly 1000 men
viii be employed on the river.
This allotment will permit only the
work as planned for this year and the
placing OF the government plant in
condition for an early start next
spring.
Usual Amount 81 100000.
The allotment made Is only an
emergency one, and is far below the
usual amount In 1913, $500, 900 was
a. the disposal Of the upper Mississip-
?! engine GERS. This amount had been
gradually approached from year to
year, as the government plant in
creased. and its upkeep and the en-
ployment Of more men was demanded.
Advices from Washington are that
another river and harbor bill for 1915
will be taken up again at the short
term OF congress which convenes in
December. Friends OF the bill hope
10 rush II through.
As the short term adjOurns on
March !, il is presumed that the en-
gineers VIII have the money for the
Work a. their disposal when the sea
son Of river work opens next spring.
Labor Scarce.
AZ many places along the river it
has been hard 10 find enough men TO
do the work and laborers are in de
nznd almost At every point along the
stream where the Improvement IS be-
ing pushed.
When the announcement was made
Saturday that the work would be TAX
sn up Monday. IL was not thought that
there was a dearth OF laboring men, but
i was stated today by an Official Of
the government offices here that at
many points there is need OF IabOrers
AID they seem hard TO get