The Washington herald., 1915-09-12
THE OPEN FORUM.
Officer of Rivers and Harbors Con-
gress Makes a Denial. I

/
Editor of The Washington Herald
article in your issue of Monday last,
headed Pork Barrel Politicians Strike
Snag. This article is full of err
| rors. and l beg the favor of sufficient
space to correct few of them
The article says The National
Rivers and Harbors Congress, in plan
ming big river and harbor bill for
the next Congress. have encountered
| an unexpected snag." this being
proviso inserted in the last river and
| harbor bill by Senator Burton, di-
| recting the examination of ter
waterway projects and authorizing
the denomination of other project.
at the discretion of the chief of en-
gineers.
The article calls this proviso a snag
! in the way of future pork barrel.
| bills. states that in consequence OF
! reports already submitted work on
the Missouri and Arkansas rivers
will be abandoned. and declares that
the fear that the engineers may
find lack of merit in the other eight
ordered examined has stampeded the
National Rivers and Harbors Con-
gress.
Not Its Duty.
The National Rivers and Harbors
Congress has never planned rivers
and harbors bills, big or little in the
past, is planning none now. and does
not expect to plan any hereafter Tn
der the Constitution of the United
States and the laws passed in accord
ance herewith. the planning of rivers
and harbors bills rests with the River.
and Harbors Committee of the House
and the Commerce Committee of the
Senate. and. the members of these
committees have been and will he left
free to exercise their duties without
dictation. advice, suggestion OF inter-
ference in any way whatever by the
National Rivers and Harbors Com
gress.
The officers of the National Riverst
and Harbors Congress are neither
dead nor asleep. The fact that Mr..
Burton. by the threat of a filibuster--
which in the closing hours of Com
gress is just as effective as the pistol
of highwayman at the head of his
victim-had compelled the Senate of
the United States 10 choose between
the insertion of the proviso referred
to and the defeat of all appropriations
for rivers and haborS. was just as
well known in this office at the time
ii occurred as it is now.
Always ..POrk Barrels"
The Burton amendment may possi- !
bly, result in stoppage of work on
certain projects, but cannot consti-
tute snag in the way of future
river and harbor bills. since il does
not make and does not claim to make
any change whatever in the method
under which such bills are prepared.
The method followed when Mr. Bur
ton was chairman of the Rivers and
Harbors Committee was the same that
is followed now. and the bills pre-
pared under his chairma nship Were
called pork barrels" then. just as
they are now.
The writer of the article was evil
IDENTIFY unfamiliar with the method un-
der which waterway projects are han
died. 1t will take something more
than unfavorable reports by the local
engineers to compel the stoppage of
work on the Missouri and Arkansas
rivers. These reports are subject TO
review by the board of engineers for
rivers and harbors and by the cn,es
of engineers. who may either approve
or disapprove. and the final decision
rests with the Congress of the United
States.
Work Will Go On.
The officers of the organization are
under many obligations to you for in
them that the National Rivers
and Harbors Congress has been stam-
peded since otherwise the matter
would never have come to their notice.
The National Rivers and Harbors
Congress is composed of people VINO
believe that the improvement and
of our rivers and harbors
is of vital importance to the future
of our country. We, therefore. en-
deavor to build up an intelligent pub
lie sentiment on the question by the
of facts and arguments
based thereon. showing the benefits ,
which have resulted from the I'm
provement of waterways in this and
other countries. and it would take
something much more effective than
Mr. Burton's amendment or unfavora-
bic reports on two three indvid-
ual waterway projects to prevent the
Of our work.
:. A. THOMPSON,
Secretary National Rivers and Harbors
Congress.