The sun., 1916-08-18
C0KGRESSMEN SEE
HARBOR NEED HERE
Members Of House Committee
Making Two Day Tour Of
Local Waterways.

E.cVeN memoirs OF the RIVERS ana
Harbors Committee Of the House Of Rep
resentatives were The guests Of the
Chamber Of Commerce on the police boat
Patrol yesterday morning on a tour Of
inspection In the North River. To-day
they will inspect the Jersey shore. Staten
Island. the Eas. River and Jamaica Bay.
One o: :he most important improve
meat projects which the committee has
TO consider IL the dredging o: He'll Gate
channel SO that capital ships OF war may
enter and leave Brooklyn nav yard
without waiting for high tide. Repre-
sentative Hubert Of New York asserted
his proposa, has commercial as well as
naval valu5. None of the legislators was
willing 20 predict what Congress will do
with the proposal 10 spend $500. 600 for
this work, which Preside mt Wilson has
fevoied.
TIL Patrol yesterday took the Con-
gressmen and their hosts. including sew
eral city officials. as far as Spuyten
Duyvll, and then down to Pier a n: the
Battery. the headquarters OF the Depart
down the Representatives inspected the
1000 foot piers under construction at
West For.y-seventh street. Tho city is
doing this work. which will be COM
pleted within n year.. but a shoal be-
tween Th!rty-eigAth and Fifty-s.xth
streets will prevent these piers from at
tanning their maximum usefulness un-
less the Government sets aside money 20
dredge this part OF the channel.
Shortly after ] o'clock the party landed
| At the Battery and went to the Chamber
Of Commerce Building In Liberty stree,
for luncheon. In the discussion which
followed Irving r. Bush. head Of the
Bush Terminal Company. gave the legis-
lators some food for thought by tellinA
them that failure to improve h harbor
has caused a great loss to the people OF
this city.
Lack OF proper water depths and
available channels here constitute a taA
on the people who have products to sell
In export said Mr.. Bush. who Is chair
man Of the harbor n shipping commit
tee Of the chamber. He asserted that
shipments are being delayed through con-
g~estion.
Commander f. p. Jessop. representing
Rear Admiral Usher. commandment oil
Brooklyn navy yard. h had been or
the trip with the Representatives. said
New York harbor. as tho centre OF thu
commercial nation. must be defended by
the navy at all costs. He asserted thai
the defensive service the navy can rem
der here can be improved one-half By
the opening OF He'll Gate to large vessels
~ fleet OF eight drcadnoughts In Ions
Island sound" said Commander Jessop
could prevent any number OF dread
nouyhts leaving our southern entrance
TO the harbor. But n feet Of four timei
eight could not prevent II II two exit
existed by way Of the Narrows anC
through He'll Gate"
Stephen NJ. Sparkman Of Florida, 10
many years a member OF the Rivers ant
Harpors Committee n now Its hail
man, replied to newspaper charges tina
appropriations have been made for "th'
pork BARREL" repeating the statemen
made by the Secretary OF War to tn
effect that not more than IN per cent
Of the St2. 900. 900 appropriation could b.
objected to honestly. Mr.. Sparkman SAT-
Secretary Baker was backed up by tn
General Board Of Engineers in Washing
ton. He said h proposals made b,
the local board Of engineers, and checke'
over by the general board. determine
largely tho distribution OF the rivers an
harbors funds.
Mr.. Sparkman asserted that Congress
has not neglected this port. He sal
every project favored by the army eli
gineers stationed here has beon passe
by his committee.
The committeeman who came with MI
Sparkman were John H.. Small OF Mort
Carolina, Thomas Gallagher Of Illinois
Samuel NJ. Taylor Of Arkansas. II. Gar
land Dupre Of Louisiana. Robert n
Switzer Of Ohio. Peter +. Costello q
Pennsylvania. William Kettner OF Cal
forn!a, Thomas J. Scully OF New Jersc
and Allen r. Treadway OF Massachusett
Frank J.. bowling. acting Mayor
Dock Commissioner II. A. c. Smith,
spencer Smith, head of tho Board q
Commerce and Navigation Of this state
William Morgan. president OF the Me,
chants Association Joseph b.. Morrel
president Of the Maritime Association
W.. A. Kemp. president Of the New Yor
Produce Exchange. and other comme'
cial leaders we're aboard the police bo
and at tho Chamber Of Commerce.