The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-19
FIGHT OPENED
IN HOUSE FOR
WATERWAY LINK
Illinois Men Take Lead TO Secure
Million Dollar Appropriation
for New Channel.
Washington News Bureau
Rock Island Argus.

Rock Island Argus.
Washington. D. c., Nov. lex
penditure of $1,000, 900 by the fed
eral, government to aid Illinois in
linking Chicago and st. Louis with
an S-foot channel waterway, for
which $40 SEQ 900 of state funds are
being spent. was advocated here
this week by middle western con-
gressmen who appeared before Sec
rotary of War John W. Weeks.
The members of-the house, all
representing constituencies in the
Mississippi River valley, called on
the secretary to protest against the
recent action of General Dawes, di-
rector of the budget, who has an
nounced the slashing of river anu
harbor appropriations for next year
to 100000.
The middle western congress-
men appealed to Secretary Weeks
TO insist on an appropriation OF at
least $42,000,000 when he makes
his recommendation to the apprO
priatiOns committees of congress.
Secretary Weeks gave the house
members a sympathetic hearing
and declared that he was net III
accord with General Dawes on the
estimate fixed by the latter for
rivers and harbors expenditures
during the next fiscal year.
Graham Is Spokesman.
Representative William J Ora
ham. Aledo, and Edward E. Deni-
son. Marion, were the Illinois con-
gressmen in the delegation which
called on the secretary of war.
Representatives Clifford Ireland,
Peoria, Edward ]. King, Galesburg,
Guy L. Shaw, BeardstOwn and Will
| liam A. Rodenberg, East St. Louis,
also expressed their approval of
the representations made to the
! secretary.
The appropriation to - made
! for the next fiscal year on rivers
and harbors is of the most vital
| interest to Illinois and to every
other middle western states de
! clared Representative Graham, who
acted as spokesman for members
| of the Illinois delegation favoring
! the SAP 100000 appropriation.
For the present fiscal year, the
appropriation for rivers and har-
bors is So 900, 900. The estimate
of the director of the budget of $13,-
/ 500, 600 for next year is absolutely
/ Inadequate 1t will not even keep
! the rivers and harbors of the couR-
/ try omen for navigation and vii.
mean the abandonment of nearly
every inland waterway in the mid
die west. We are not asking for an
appropriation large enough to carry
on many of the approved extern
| siOns and improvements that ought
| to be made, but We do believe that
| the necessary dredging and similar
| operations should be provided for
! in Illinois and other states during
| the ensuing year.
| Representative Cleveland A
/ Newton, Missouri. urged Secretary
! Weeks to include in his Tecommen-
| dation an appropriation of $1,000
! 600 to be expended in Illinois 20
/ aid in bringing to speedy compile
| ton the 'S-fOot channel between
! Chicago and St Louis.
| The expenditure of this rela-
| lively small sum by the federal
| government will hasten the time
! when this great waterway can be
put into operation" Representative
! Newton stated 1T will relieve
/ transportation conditions not only
! in Illinois but in surrounding
! states, and is a proper subject for
! federal expenditures.
Illinois congressman this week
declared that they will carry to the
| larger expenditure for rivers ard
! harbOrs than that recommended by
the budget bureau.
| Senators Mckinley and McCor-
! mick were close attendants on the
! session of the senate this week.
i during the debate which ragged over
| the resolution offered by Senator
! Spencer, Republican, Missouri, to
seat Senator Newberry, Republi
| can, Michigan. Neither of the I'LL
! nois senators participated in the
| debate, but both were counted as
| supporters of the Spencer resolu-
| ton.
The ghost of the Lorimer case
| stalked the senate chamber this
week as Democratic speakers at
! tempted to draw parallel between
! the charges made against Senate
Newberry and the former senator
from Illinois. Referring to charges
| of corruption of the state legisla-
! ture at Springfield in the Lorimer
case, and declaring that the late
! Senator Cullom of Illinois and
! other senators who had voted to
| seat Lorimer had been defeated be-
) cause of their attitude On the case.
| Senator Hefiin, Democrat, Alabama,
predicted that the same thing is
going to happen in the Newberry
case" Senator Spencer, who
! wrote the committee report exon
Grating Senator Newberry, replied
to Senator Hef1in with a plea to mis-
| colleagues to decide the Newberry
case ''on the record, like judges sit
ting on the bench" In the course
of a four hour speech he denied
that there was any parallel between
the Illinois and Michigan cases.
Senator Mccormick is scheduled
to leave Washington next Wednes-
day on a five weeks trip TO inYesti-
gate charges growing out of the
American occupation of Haiti and
Santo Domingo
The Illinois senator is chairman
of a special committee, the other
members of which are Senators
Pomerene, Democrat, Ohio; King,
Democrat. Utah: and Oddie, Repub-
! lican. Nevada. The committee was