New Britain herald., 1923-01-16
BILL TO REPEAL BENEFICIAL
 LOAN LAW IS INTRODUCED
CONN. CONGRESSMEN IN
 HARBORS.RIvERS BLOC
Line Up in Favor of Increas- ing Appropriation From
 37 to 56 Millions
ny GEORGE II. MANNING

 fwashington Bureau Of New Britain Hefaldl,
 Washington. D. C., Jan. fd.-The Connecticut congressman will line up solidiy with the rivers and harbors bloc" in the fight to be staged in the house to increase the appropriation for rivers and harbors work during the next fiscal year. commencing July 1, from s37. 1000. 900 to s56,oo0,o00.
 This clash will be the biggest fight of the week in either house of con- gress and one of the most determined and spectacular of the session.
 Upon its success will depend whether sufficient appropriations will be made to continue the improvement of Connecticut rivers and harbors dur ing the next fiscal year, or whether the congress will cut in half the sum which the army engineers in charge of the work assert is absolutely need ed, and let the waterways get into poor condition.
 Chairman Dempsey of the house, rivers and harbors committee will lead the fight for the river and harbor bloc. He will be assisted by Con- gressman Richard r. Freeman of New London, ranking member of the committee.
 The war department budget bill containing the appropriations for rivers and harbors will be taken up in the house today for general de- bate; amendments will be in order Thursday. Mir. Dempsey will then. on behalf of the river and harbors bloc, offer his amendment to increase the appropriation for river and harbor work from a lump sum of $S7,oO0, 900 to $56,o00. 0.o0o. the shm recommended by the engineers.
 The Connecticut delegation is. .solid- Fly for the increased appropriation and it is believed sufficient support will be obtained from the delegations of states having waterways to put it through.
 The army engineers carefully item- ized the various projects and the amount needed for them next year, amounting to about 56,000,000. The budget director discarded the item ized estimate and recommended ap- propriation of lump sum of only SStsoVp,oVo'
 Fearing a revolt by the rivers and harbors bloc." the house appropria- tions committee increased it to $S7.- 0OO,O and so reported it to the house. If the cut in the appropria- ton is upheld it will be necessary for the engineers to reduce the estimated work for next year on numerous worthy projects in Connecticut and other states and entirely abandon work on many others.
 Believing that Connecticut water ways will get the 'cut" the Connecti- cut members have decided to stand with the rivers and harbors bloc" to get the full $56,0O0,00o asked by the engineers.
 The engineers made tho following estimates for work in Connecticut during the next fiscal year: Connecti- cut river below Hartford, $50,o00 for improvement and s2o,o0o for main- tenance; Duck Island harbor of refuge $44,000 for maintenance; Bridgeport harbcr s71,000 for improvement and S26,000 for maintenance; Norwalk harbor $20,00O, maintenance; Stam- ford harbor, $3O,0O0 improvement; Greenwich harbor, s6,600, improve ment and s2,100 for maintenance.
 If the fight of the river and har- bor bloc" is unsuccessful and the ap- propriation remains at a lump sum of $37,000,00O, the proposed expendi- lures on Connecticut waterways next fiscal year must necessarily be great lY reduced from the estimates.