New-York tribune., 1917-07-27
S27,oO0,OOO "Pork"
Bill Passes Senate
Over Protests
Only Eleven Votes Against
Measure Attacked as Inex-
cusable in War Time

Washington, July 26.-Carrying an
appropriation of 1854, 900, the annual
rivers and harbor bill was passed By
the Senate late to-day, 90 to II.
Although many Senators had at
tackled the measure as pork barrel
legislation of a kind inexcusable in war
time, the only negative votes on the
final roll call were cast by Senators
Borah, Brady. Kenyon, LaFollette,
Smith (of Michigan), and Smoot, Re-
publicans, and Ashurst, Gore, King,
Pomerene and Shaforth, Democrats.
The measure, which passed the
House June 81, now goes to confer
ence. As passed by the Senate, it au-
thorizes the government to enter into
negotiations for the acquisition of'the
Cape Cod and the Chesapeake and
Delaware canals, either by direct pur-
chase or by condemnation proceedings,
and provides for the establishment of
a Federal waterways commission, con-
sisting of seven members, appointed by
the President. The Cape Cod Canal
and Waterways Commission provisions
we're not in the House bill
Debated for Four Days
The bill was passed after four days
Of debate, most of the time being oc-
cupied by opponents Of the measure.
Senator Kenyon led the attack, but his
motion 10 substitute lump approprla-
tion of sl5,OO0,OO was rejected, 40 to
II. Senator King branded the system
of making waterways appropriations as
"iniouitous beyond expression" and
Senator Borah pleaded for conservation
90 financial resources for use in con-
ducting this war.
Numerous amendments, introduced
principally by the bills opponents IN
an effort to limit its provisions, were
rejected shortly before the final vote
,yas taken. Senator Curtis's amend
ment providing that no money should
he expended for river and harbor i'm
provements except where absolutely
necessary during the war, was deieaIeu'
AZ 10 %. Another by Senator Kenyon,
providing that no appropriation couIu
be expended unless the fresldeiI
should designate that II was puoHc
necessity, was voted down, 36 to 20.
Without a record vote the senate re.
iected Senator Shafroth's amendmenI !
providing that no appropriation shoula
be available except in the event tnat
states, counties, cities and corporations
affected by the project should pay one
third of the amount appropriated.
Salaried Commission Provided
The Waterways Commission amend
meut was a committee proposal. IL
provides that at least one member snail
be an army engineer and one an ex-
pert hydraulic engineer. The commits
sion would make q study OF the deVeII,
opment and control of waterways and
water resources. Each member vii! re-
ceive a salary of $1,000 per year.
Minor amendments adopted included
one permitting Minnesota and North
and South Dakota to enter into agree
ments to drain and reclaim lands and
control floods along the Red and Min
nesota rivers; authorizing the Secre-
tary Of War TO make regulations for
any navigable territory endangered by
coast artillery fire, and declaring St.
Mary's River, in Ohio and Indiana, a
non-navigable stream.
Opponents of the bill charged that
efforts were being made TO rush
through a pork" measure under the
guise OF national defence.
The National Rivers and Harbors
Congress came in for a share of criti-
cism for it's activities in behalf OF
waterways improvement. Friends Of the
congress, in defence, asserted that the
organizations activities were entirely