The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1917-03-29
SENATOR BROUSSARO
Says Treatment OF Local
Naval Station Is Outrage
and Public Scandal. -
600 EXPENDITURE WILL BE
Discussed HERE.

Rival and hostile influences" as
Serts Senator Robert Broussard.
have consistently worked against the
New Orleans navy ydrd through bu-
reau channels. \ persistent cam
. paign" has been conducted, in which
our enemies in the bureau plotted
to Strangle the New Orleans yard
through the misuse OF discretionary
powers" Though its natural ad-
vantages have been reported TO the
navy department. and though the
secretary himself sought. in one in
stance, TO have 100000 wharf
built here, bureaucracy prevented
the expenditure. says the senator.
1t is an outrage and a public
scandal the senator asserts, that
not even a small fraction OF the new
naval plan OF expansion is to be the
output of the New Orleans yard.
Scarcely d dollar Of that vast sum
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for naval
expenditures By congress, is TO be
disbursed at the New Orleans navy
yard aside from the petty eXpendi-
lures Of the plant.
Y. q. Yard Gets Petty Funds.
Il have long felt that the interests
of our state were identified with the
navy rather than the army. and
have therefore welcomed a transfer
to the committee on naval affairs
No more convincing evidence OF the
need OF strengthening our position
with respect 10 the navy could be
found than the mere fact that con-
gress has just provided for naval eX-
penGltureS aggregating $535. goo
and yet. scarcely a dollar OF that
vast sum is to be disbursed at the
New Orleans Navy Yard aside from
the petty routine expenses of the
plant. | wish to make it clear that
nothing | may say in this connection
is to be construed as a criticism of
Congressman Estopinal, who has
been untiring in his labors, as a
member of the naval committee of
the house. But without cO-Opera-
ton in the senate his hands are tied.
Even the wishes of the head OF
the department itself with respect
to the New Orleans Navy Yard are
blocked by influences in the differ
ent bureaus of the department. This
malign influence cannot be broken
up until there is the most active and
aggressive cooperation between the
house and senate committees in the
interest of the New Orleans yard. 4
concrete illustration that | call to
mind vii make this plain. During
the last congress, after the naval bill
had passed the house. and was be-
fore the senate for amendment. |
received information from the senate
committee that the department
wished to improve the facilities at
the New Orleans yard and was es-
pecially anxious to have an appro-
priatiOn carried in the pending bill
for the enlargement of the wharf in
front of the station.
New Orleans Work Blocked"
ION being informed, inasmuch as
Louisiana was without representa-
ton on the senate committee. |.
called at the department and went
over the matter with Secretary Dan
iels. He expressed himself as most
to secure the adoption of the
and suggested that I
press it. Accordingly, on June 90, /
an amendment appropri- I
ating 100000 for the extension Of /.
the wharf. In compliance with the /
wishes of the department it was
by the senate, bat in con-
ference the bureauCrats were quick .
to put forward the information that .
in order to hold the appropriation it .
would be necessary to secure an "es-
innate" for the work. Application
was made for this perfunctory esti-
mate. but in vain, and although the
secretary was favorable, because the
estimate was lacking we lost the ap-
The same influences in
the bureaus that never lose an op-
portunity to block the Improvement
Of the New Orleans Navy Yard took
advantage of their discretionary
powers to see that the wharf was not
Il feel, however, that these OBJ
have now reached the
end of its rope, for in the future, the
items in the naval bill referring to
the New Orleans Yard are going to
be mandatory and not discretionary
if | can possibly have this, done
Outrage and Public Scandal"
In the same bill that permitted |
the New Orleans wharf fasco, there .
was a mandatory provision to place |
the yards at Puget Sound. Boston.
Philadelphia and. Norfolk in such |
condition by the addition of new |
as would permit of the |
of vessels of the largest ,