The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-05-31
.N|GGARDLY POLICY
ON RIVERS BILL
BITTERLY ATTACKED
Senator Simmons DepIoreS
Injection Of Politics by Re-
pubIiCanS Into Purely Bust
ness Legislation.

WASHINGTON, May 31.-Deplorin,
the injection of politics and pretended
economy campaign into the considera.
tlon OF the rivers and harbors bill, Sen.
ator F. NJ. Simmons. member of tho
commerce committee, asserted in a re.
cent senate speech that a niggardlN
pouCy IS being pursued in congress to.
ward the improvement of rivers anC
harbors.
Il hope this is the last river ant
harbor bill that will have TO run tn,
gauntlet Of manufactured prejudice ant
me exigencies Of political campaign,
SAID Senator Simmons II profess
against the injection of politics into
purely business legislation. II ii is de.
sired to make a record for economy
there is ample opportunity to cut dowr
expenses without injury but with bene.
lit to the country. 1t is indefensible &c
attempt to make a record Of economy
at the expense of the business inter.
eSts of the country, its development
and its expansion"
Senator Simmons said the compara
lively small sum carried in the annua
rivers and harbors budget meant the
loss of money already spent on many
projects, and that the bill would cripple
transportation at time when it is
imperative the United States should ex-
tend its commerce
Pretended Economy"
A program Of pretended economy"
Senator Simmons added, is largely re-
sponsible for this. political steering
committee in the house, he explained,
had cut the estimates of the army en-
gineers in half. The house bill carried
only $l2,000,00O for rivers and harbors.
The senate committee raised the
amount to $20,000,00O and finally an
amendment Offered by Senator Har-
rlson of Mississippi increased this to
$24. 000, 900.
What proportion of the senate in
crease the house will accept is prob
lematical since the steering committee
OF the house. has determined to make
campaign Issue Of economy"
In cutting river and harbor improve
ments at the beginning of the recon
struction period, Senator Simmons said,
congress was following a "niggardly,
cheese pairing policy" All sections of
the country and their commerce, he
said, inevitably must suffer under such
and many millions of dollars to regain
the lost ground.
There is no vision in this bill" said
Senator Simmons. 1T is short sighted
and narrow, If it were left to me.
would pursue as liberal a policy toward
improvement of our rivers and harbors
as | would pursue in reference to our
army and our navy or any other in
strumentality of government. The army
and navy are necessary to our ma
tional defense and must be maintained,
regardless of expense. So must our
other necessary governmental activi-
ties, but the means for the support and
maintenance of these necessary func-
tons of government, greater today than
ever before in the history of our Coun-
try, greater than those of any other
country in the world. must come from
the commercial activities of our peO-
pie. We hear much talk in these days
of the enormous amounts the govern
ment must of necessity cXpend for this
and that public service We hear much
about our vast indebtedness. These
obligations can not be avoided or es-
capped; they have got to be met and
discharged, and they can not be met
and discharged If we neglect to foster
and develop in every way in our power
the commerce and industries of the
people. These considerations demand
that we should not only develop and
utilize the transportation potentiality
of our rivers and harbors but that we
should compel our railroads to COOP
crate with our waterways to the fullest
extent in furnishing needed facilities
to aid our great and growing commerce
and trade, whether domestic or for
cign
My purpose is to impress upon the
senate the Importance and wisdom, in
the conditions which now confront us,
Of liberal instead of niggardly appro-
priations. or no appropriations at all,
10 put our harbors in condition to aC-
commOdate the great foreign trade we
have already developed and the still
greater trade of the future, and of
continuing to improve our rivers and
harbors as the best means of supple
menting our insufficient rail transpor-
tation In the present condition of our
rail transportation. can conceive of
no more short sighted policy than the
neglect of waterways, which, at this
time. seems to furnish the only feasible
means of adequately supplementing rail
transportation and thereby protecting
the industries of the country against
the menace which now threatens to
arrest their further development and
expansion.