Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-17
WATERWAYS BILL
READY FOR HOUSE
Rivers and Harbors Figures,
as Prepared, Show Cut
of $500, 800.
TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS
AMOUNT TO 500, 6Os,41O
Estimates for Gulf Ports Increased
on Account of Severe Hurricane
Last Summer.

The rivers and harbors appropriation
bill. in which every member of Con-
gress and every section of the country
is deeply interested, is ready. 1t VIII
be put in the first of next week by
Representative S. NJ. Sparkman. He ad-
mitted today that it was in shape to be
tends to hold it in committee until Mon
day.
The bill as finally prepared calls for
total cash s37,S9S,410 and total con-
tinuing contract $1.710,00O. making a
grand total in the bill of s39.60S,4lo.
The bill as drafted is considered very
conservative. The estimates were for
$44,376,710. so that the bill as ready
to be introduced shows cut from
these estimates Of s5.36s.3o0.
AS matter of fact the actual cut
represents more than five and a half
millions. and is in fact something like
$6.3O0.000. There were some increases
over the estimates. made necessary in
some instances by the severe hurricane
which visited some of the gulf ports
last summer, and partly to the ad-
visibility of doing certain work. the
necessity for which was not apparent
when the estimates were made for the
first of July last year.
For Diamond Reef Shoals.
There is also embraced in the total
of the bill an item of 100000 to re-
move the Diamond Reef shoals in the
East river. between the New York har-
Dor and the Brooklyn navy yard. This
item was placed in the bill at the direct
personal request of President Wilson.
The cutting down of the bill from
the estimates has been effected with
out hurting any of the projects. They
were cut as low as possible without
retarding the work. In each and every
case the amount was allowed which
the engineers say they can expend be-
tween now and the time next year
when the bill will be ready.
The Diamond shoals item in the bill
gress so serious as to jeopardize the
success of the entire measure.
In bill where projects are meas
ured by the million dollars this item
is a small one. However. 1t is not the
size of the appropriation that is wor-
rying the House and the rivers and
harbors committee: it is the fact that
it is the only new project in the entire
bill.
Just how the members who were I'M
able to get their own pet project into
the bill will feel about it is expressed
by a member of the House in these
words:
"The committee gave it out as a fiat
policy that it would not write into the
bill any authorizations for new prof.
ects. That alone saved the bill from
the ridicule of the country. which is
firing of pork barrels at a time when
the Treasury is empty.
.'Then along came the power OF the New
York city democracy. and in an endeavor
to placate Tammany letter from Secre-
tary Tunulty was shown the committee,
co hat "a
that work in New York harbor done as a
matter of national defense; that the New
York navy yard was of no account unless
the channel was cleaned out. When that
bill gets to the floor of the House every
member who had a new project which he
could not get into the bill is going to
jump on that item and, if possible. strike
it out
Chesapeake and Tributaries.
The bill carries $4,000 for the Dis
trict of Columbia to be spent in work
on the Potomac river.
The provisions for Maryland are:
Harbors at Rockhall. Queenstown,
Claiborne and Cambridge, and Chester
Choptank, Warwick, Wicomico. POGO
moke, La Trappe, Manokin rivers and
Tyaskin creek. $1o.5O0 Elk and Little
Elk rivers, $500: Nanticoke river.
Delaware and Maryland, and North
west branch of Nanticoke river
Those for Virginia are: 7
Mataponi and Pamunkey rivers and
Occoquan and Aqua creeks. $4,000;
Rappahannock river. 100000: James
of Virginia. $1,000. Virginia and North
Carolina: Inland waterway from Nor
folk. Va, to Beaufort Inlet, N. c.,
$1,000 900.