Evening star., 1935-05-01
Gov. Winship Outlines Plans
for Puerto Rico I'm.
provements.
CHANNEL DEEPENING
OF PARTICULAR VALUE"
Committee Of National Water
Congress Given Arguments
of Various Sections.

Opening the second day OF con-
sideration of lat river and harbor
projects involving a total expenditure
of about s500,Oo0000. the Projects
Committee of the National Rivers and
Harbors Congress this morning heard
testimony from nearly a dozen men,
bers of the United States Congress and
from Gov. Blanton Winship Of Puerto
Rico.
Gov Winship was appearing on be-
half of Improvements to San Juan
Harbor which in their originally con-
templated form called for expenditure
of about $2.500000. Some of the
work, however. already has been ac-
complished and P. w. A. allotment
for S440 900 is now available for more
of the work, leaving the Improvements
asked by Gov Winship requiring some
100000 additional. Principal among
the features of Gov Winship's pro-
posal were the deepening Of San Juan
Harbor channel and the construction
of a floating dry dock there. These
improvements. he pointed out, would
be of particular value in the event OF
operations of the United States feet
in waters adjacent to the island.
The first witness of the morning was
Representative Smith, Democrat, of
Washington. who urged the commit
tees Endorsement of three canal pro-
jectS in the Northwest. In presenting
his arguments, Smith declared the
canals would result in considerable in
crease in commerce in that section.
At the same time, he said. railroads in
the area affected have voiced no oppo-
sition to the waterway Improvements.
In approximately 9a per cent OF such
cases, he said, it has been shown that
improved water transportation facili-
| ties served also to increase transporta-
ton by rail. The Washington State
proposals involve a total expenditure
Of slightly more than s33,000,000.
Recreation Project.
Representative Utterback, Democrat
Of Iowa, proposed vast recreation
lake project in the Des MoineS River
Valley costing about sll,000,000 or
s12,000000. The project also has
value for irrigation and flood control
/ benefits, he said, while some even
favor location Of power development
! there.
Representative Crawford. Repub-
| lican. of Michigan, appeared next in
| behak. of two projects in Saginaw
Harbor. He was followed before the
cony2ittee by Representative White,
Den, ocrat. of Idaho. who requested the
/ Endorsement of river development
projects in his home State.
Ill
preceded Gov. Winship before the
committee. Senator Gibson, Senator
Austin and Representative Plumley,
ali Republicans, urged the approval Of
the Congress for two canal projects
near the New York and Canadian
borders of the State. Their principal
value, Senator Gibson said. would be
contingent upon development Of the
st. Lawrence Waterway agitated for
the past several years.
To Approve Three quarters.
Questioned about probable action of
the Projects Committee and Of the
whole Congress, President Frank Reid
and H. H. Buckman, vice chairman OF
the Projects Committee, ventured a
prediction that about three-quarters
of the proposals submitted will be
given approval of the group, although
many, including two for the District
of Columbia. already have been ap-
proved by the House of Representa-
tiveS in the omnibus rivers and har-
bors bill. These officials doubt that
Endorsement of their organization
would expedite passage in the Sen
ate.
In cases where projects have not
received approval of the United States
Congress this special body will press
for their acceptance by the new pub
lie works set-up. 1t was pointed out
that approximately IS per cent of ex-
penditures for waterways projects
goes directly for manpower labor.