Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-03-31
Secretary Weeks Says War
Dept. Not Bound to Ex-
pend Full N. ]. Amounts
BIG FUND WAS CUT
Matter of N. J. and Other
Projects to be Taken Up
With President
BY GEORGE II. MANNING
Washington Correspondent of the
Perth Amboy Evening News)

WASHINGTON, Mar. 31:-There
is more apparent interest all over
the country this year in the allot-
ments to be made for the next fiscal
year, commencing July 1, 1928, for
river and harbor work than ever be-
fore.
The concern of the public in the
amounts that are to be expended on
the various waterway projects was
evidenced yesterday when Secretary
of War Weeks was deluged with tel
egrams and letters on the subject
following the publication of the day
before of a report that he intended
to spend a large part of the $4,000
900 appropriated for all the water
ways by congress on the Ohio and
MonongaheIa rivers. He made il
very clear in subsequ, Mt interview
that this statement attributed TO
him, had misrepresented his position.
Secretary Wees laid emphasis
| however. on the claim that the Wa
Department Is not bound to spend ON
| New Jersey waterways and those in
! other states the amounts estimated
| by the chief of engineers as neces-
sary in the report made to the last
! session of congress, and that the
whole plan of the engineers may be
upset at a conference he viii have
with President Harding on this sub
lect when the latter returns to
Washington.
The engineers estimated that S56,-
000,00 would be. needed for river
and harbor work during the next
| fiscal year and -refully itemized the
amount to be spent on each project.
The budget director cut the sum to
$17, 100000 and asked congress for
only that amo@-.t.
A rivers and harbors bloc" was
hastily formed in the House and SEN
ate, including the solid New Jersey
delegation with exception of Con-
gresham Randolph Perkins, and an
amendment increasing the appTo-
priation to $56,000,000 was steam
rollered through.
Secretary Weeks stated today that
he knew President Harding had
! been greatly disappointed over the
action of congress in disregarding
| the recommendation of the budget
director. but did not know if Mr..
Harding intends to carry out his re-
| ported plan to direct that only $27,-
100000 be spent. He will clean up
this uncertainty as soon as the
President returns from his vacation
! in Florida, Mr.. Weeks said. The IS
Inmates made by the engineers for
rivers and harbors work in New Jer-
sey were under these groups and as
follows;
principal Seacoast Harbors:
Newark Bay, improvement. $3.50
600; Passaic River, maintenance,
$50, 900; Hackensack, river, improve
ment, s100, 900; Staten Island Sound,
Improvement, s1,00O,000; Raritan
Bay, Improvement, 100000; Rari-
tan river, maintenance, $4,000,
Second harbors and coastwise
channels; Woodbridge creek, main
tenance. $4,000; keyport harbor,
maintenance, $4,000; Shoal harbor
and Compton creek, maintenance,
$4,000 Shrewsbury river, main
tenance, $4,000 Delaware liver
Trenton to Philadelphia, mainten-
ance $4,000; Mantua creek, i'm
provement, $4,000; Oldmans creek,
maintenance, $4,000; Cold Spring
maintenance. $4,000: CID SPRING
Inlet. maintenance, $4,000; Abse-
con Inlet, improvement. $4,000.
1t is Secretary Weeks contention
that. under the law. he is not COM
PEELED to follow these estimates, but
! can direct an entire re-allotment
of the lump sum of s56. 100000.
and spend all or any part of ii as he
and the President may decide,