Evening star., 1930-06-25
WATERWAYS BILL
GIVEN FINAL 0. K.
Largest Rivers and HarborS
Program in U. S. History
Ready for President.

Republican leaders expect that Pres
ident Hoover will Immediately sign the
rivers and harbors bill. on which legis-
lative action was completed yesterday
when the House and Senate approved
the conference report on the Dempsey
bill. The largest and most comprehen-
sive rivers and harbors bill ever formu-
lated authorizes construction of more
than ITO projects to cost SI44,sSi, ,9o2.
The legislation Is in line with the
Presidents recommendations to Con-
greSS for improvement of the Nations
harbors and waterways to provide eco
nomical transportation.
The measure, which was in process
OF formulation for three years, affects
every region of the country. 1t commits
the Government to a number of i'm
portant projects affecting streams in
| the Mississippi Basin and to the i'm
provement of the intercoastal waterways
and harbors Of important ports.
Covers Many Years.
AS originally passed by the House, it
! authorized construction to cost $1l6,-
| 286,027. The Senate, however, added
projects that increased the total by
| $28,596,875.
The construction is to be spread over
period OF years, ranging from l to Is
Approximately $4,000, 900 Of the S60,-
900 900 carried in the annual War De-
partment supply bill will become avail
| able July l for use on these projects.
| The remainder Is to go toward MissiS-
stppi flood control work
In both the House and Senate vigor-
| Gus contests were, waged against the
provision for the Government to take
| over and operate the Erie and Oswego
Canal, in New York State, and the I'LL
nois waterway connecting the great
Lakes with the Gulf by the Mississippi
River, but they were finally included
The Senate approved the measure Sat-
urday. 1t went to conference yesterday,
but within three hours the conferees had
agreed and the bill was finally ap-
proved. 1t probably will reach the
President late today.
Includes $50 Streams.
The measure authorizes surveys on
more than $50 streams.
Several vast projects, ultimately to
cost many millions, were adopted in
the measure. However, the authorize
tion of expenditures on some were re-
stricted to the immediate demand.
Among such projects was $4,000, 900
for nine-foot channel for the Upper
Mississippi from the mouth of the I'LL
nois River to st. Paul and Minneapolis,
with $7,500,000 to be made available
under the measure: $4,000. 900 for the
Upper Missouri, with $15,000,000 to be-
come available in the next three years
for a siX-foot channel between Kansas
City, Mo-, and Sioux City, Iowa, and a
$75,000,000 Tennessee River project,
with $5,000,000 for work to be under
taken on a nine-foot channel from its
mouth to Knoxville River.
Authority for the expenditure of
$29, 100000 for deepening the connect
ing channel on the Great Lakes and
work on the st. Lawrence waterway
was included, along with a $4,000. 900
project for food control at Lake Okee-
chobee, Florida.
In taking over the Illinois waterway,
the bill specified not more than 7,50O,-
900 be expended to complete the project
begun by the State of Illinois and esti-
mated to cost nearly 100000 The
| Secretary of War is to have a study
made of the diversion of water from
the Great Lakes through the Illinois
waterway for navigation purposes.