Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-26
ORGANIZATION IS ACCUSED
OF pork BARREL METHODS
National Rivers and Harbors Con.
gress Bitterly Assailed on
Floor OF Senate.
INDICTED FOR LOBBYING
Senator Ransdell. Long Its President,
Protests That Methods and Aims
Arc Strictly Legitimate-Charge
With Milking Treasury.
[Ry Associated Press. ]

II IBy Associated Press.1
WASHINGTON, July 25.-Attacks in
the Senate to-day. upon the s27 200. 600
rivers and herhors bill conferred in an
Indictment by several Senator's of the
National Rivers and Harbors Congress.
which maintains headquarters In Wash
inEton and carries on an active cam
paign for waterways Improvement.
Senator'S Kenyon, of Iowa. and Jones,
Of Washington. Republicans, and King.
or Utah, Democrat, led In the criticism
OF the organizations activities. which
were vigorously defended by Senator
Ransdell OF Louisiana. Democrat. for
many years president of the water
ways congress.
Back fires" have been set in their
home States against certain Senators
and Representatives by those interested
In the organizations propaganda was
charged by Senators Kenyon and Jones.
Senator King declared he could see no
| difference between the activities of the
Rivers and Harbors Congress. and that
| OF other organizations criticised for
Legitimate lobbying.
PROTESTS THAT EFFORTS
| ALL ARE LEGITIMATE
Senator Ransdell protested that the
| organizations efforts have been along
strictly legitimate, open and public
lines, and declared that no one con-
nected with II had ever been charged
with lobbying among members of Con-
| gress.
Senator Jones said that after he op-
posed rivers and harbors bill the
secretary OF the waterways congress-
| tried to enlist the newspapers OF
| washington State to make a campaign"
against him. Senator Ransdell dis.
| claimed any knowledge Of the incident.
and said he would have stopped It,
When Senator Kenyon declared one of
his Davenport constituents had re-
ceiHed a letter from Senator Ransdell
regarding Mr.. Kenyon's opposition 10
| the bill, the Louisiana Senator said
that he had merely advised the Daven-
port correspondent Ito do all he could
with his friends 10 support the bill"
Isn't 1T an object or one OF the chief
objects of the convention to coerce
congress into making appropriations
for rivers and harbors?" asked Sena-
| tor Kenyon.
NO. that is not one of the objects"
replied Senator Ransdell. Under no
circumstances has the organization ad-
| vocated the Improvement of any par
ticular project
But the object Of the organization
as possible from Congress-" persisted
| Senator King.
Not at ALL" replied Senator Rams
dell. Not as great as possible, but to
secure appropriations enough to finish
worthy waterways of this nation"
| SAYS OBJECT Is TO SECURE
MONEY FROM TREASURY
Il know that the Democratic party.
| OF which am member" said Senator
King. Frequently dei ounced manufac-
| turers OF the United States who form
organizations for the purpose of COM
ing to Congress in order TO obtain tariff
| legislation. l do not see very much diff
ference between organizations of that
character which we have denied We
hemently and SO often and other organ
izations whether they denominated
themselves organizations for rivers and
harbors or not. the object of which in
part is to come TO Congress and try
| to secure money out OF the treasury
| of the United States"
Il will say to the Senator from
Utah." Senator Ransdell replied. that
| there is vast difference between such
lobby and great public orGaniza-
| ton like tho National Rivers and Har-
bors Congress. composed Of people from
| every State in the Union where there
are any waterways worthy Of improve
nent."
The action OF the secretary of that
organization" said Senator Kenyon.
lin building up a back-ire has been
shown by. the Senator from Washing
ton in his State. II is hardly a very
honorable occupation"
Senator Kenyon made long speech
against the appropriation bill, point
ing out the many small creeks and
rivers with negligible commerce for
which appropriations are proposed
Senator Sherman. of Illinois, Repub-
lican. also assailed tho measure as
containing many rorkbarrel provisions
| masqueradinE under the guise OF ma
tional defense. This rivers and har-
bors bill" he asserted. lis no moro con-
nected with the national defense than
my last doctors bill"