Evening star., 1935-10-23
RIVERS CONGRESS
MEETING CALLED
District May Not Press One
Remaining Major
Project.

A special meeting of the National
Rivers and Harbors Congress was
called today by former Representa-
tive Reid of Illinois, president, to be
held in Naw Orleans December Is
and IL
Reid said the meeting would con-
slider the present status Of the rivers
and harbors, flood control and water
ways programs, and unite in seeking
additional funds for merttorious
waterway and f1ood-control projects
throughout the country.
Although the District was officially
represented at the last meeting of
the congress in Washington in May,
it was said at the District Building
that there was little likelihood that
delegates would be sent to New Or
leans for the special session. John A.
Remon, general manager of the Chesa-
peake g. Potomac Telephone Co. and
chairman of the Rivers and Harbors
Committee of the Washington Board
of Trade, may attend. He is a vice
president Of the congress.
One Project Unauthorized.
It was pointed out by Remon as well
as District officials that Washington
has only one remaining important
proposed river and harb6 project that
has no. yet been approved-the re-
moval of a mud bank along the
Potomac Park seawall from the rail-
road bridge to Hains Point. The other
projects, it was said, were authorized
in the rivers and harbors act at the
last session, although funds to carry
them out have not yet been forth
coming. These included the improve
ment of the waterfront deepening Of
the river channel and construction of
q turning basin near the Washington
Navy Yard.
- Sl,95O,OOO Projects.
The water front improvements
authorized in the act are estimated to
cost S1,650,O00 of which the District
would pay s389,oOo. The channel
deepening, estimated to cost $30o,0O0
would be financed entirely with Fed
eral funds.
The special session of the Congress
will coincide with the official opening
and dedication of the highway bridge
over the Bonnet Care spillway. Com.
pletion of the bridge will make possible
the use of this safety-valve, one of the
major features of the Mississippi River
food-control project, designed and
built by the Corps of Army Engineers
which will divert the flood waters Of
the great river into Lake Pontchartrair
above the city of New Orleans.
Governors of the 48 States, mayors
Of the pricipal cities and presidents oi
chambers of commerce, waterway as.
sociations and agricultural, industria,
and trade organizations have beer
asked to name delegates to the con-
vention.
Officials Of the Rivers and Harbors
Congress, a Nation wide organization
now in its thirty-fourth year, point
out that waterway and f1ood-contro
projects afford ideal means for utiliz.
ing funds under the administration
puD4AC WOA hS-1C44C4 H4OSL d1llJ do 1OF'
eminent statistics show a larger per.
centage of the money expended or
this type of work goes to labor thar
almost any other kind of public con-
struction, averaging more than &c
per cent.
Increase National Wealth.
Among other reasons cited why
these projects merit public works
funds are:
/. They will provide permanent in
yestments which will increase the ma
tional wealth.
:. 2, They will strengthen the ma
tional defense.
) 3. They will afford protection to
human life and property.
8 4. Complete and carefully pre-
pared plans and surveys have been
made so that immediate construction
can be started.
S. They will assist rural and urban
populations as we'll and add to social
security by providing (a) protection
and restoration for millions of acres
denuded annually by soil and shore
erosion, (b) reforestation, (c) irriga-
ton of arid and drought-stricken
areas, Cd avoiding the menace of
epidemics from polluted waters and
(e) increased recreational facilities.