Evening star., 1937-06-17
POTOMAC CONTROL
FUNDS INCREASED
by SENATE GROUP.
Army May Spend $500, 900
in Cumberland Area if
Flood Funds Pass.
TOTAL FOR ALL U.s.
| SYSTEMS is DOUBLE
Committee Hopes to Prevent
Army Recurrence of Overfows
of Recent Years.
BY j. A. O'LEARY.

Army engineers may spend APP
proxlmately 100000 during the next
fiscal year on flood control work in
the upper reaches of the Potomac
River near Cumberland if increases
the Senate Appropriations Commits
tee made yesterday in the War De-
partment supply bill remain in the
measure as finally enacted.
Before reporting the S663, 1922 900
total for all War Department activi-
tles-military and non-military-the
committee doubled House figures for
flood-control projects throughout the
country to reduce the damaging over
flows of recent years.
Senator Copeland, Democrat, OF
New York, who put through the en-
abllng act for the Nationwide sys-
tenn of flood-control works in the
last Congress, is in charge of the War
Department money bill and will call
it up in the Senate probably early
next week.
Local Levees Sought
In addition to levees and dams at
Cumberland, Md; Harpers Ferry and
Moorefleld, w. Va, the Potomac River
section OF last years food-control
law also authorized levee work op.
posite the National Capital to pro.
tect Federal property and the down.
town area. The money for carving
out the District part of the program
mas not been included by the Army
engineers, however, in their tentative
work schedule for the coming year,
just submitted to the Senate Appro-
prlations Committee.
They told Senator Copeland dur
ing the hearings, just available. that
the 100000 allotted to the Potomac
Basin on tentative schedule is for
the Cumberland region. The entire
program is to extend over five or six
years, and the money for the Wash
lngton project probably will come in
one OF the later installments.
The House allowed only $50 900 900
Tor making start on projects in the
| Copeland general food-control law
and $22,50o,000 for the Overton levee
Tor the lower Mississippi. The Sen
ate committee yesterday raised the
hrst figure to s600O0,0OO. with power
TO enter into contracts for $50, ,OOO. 900
additional. The lower Mississippi
| neure was raised to s45.oOo 600.
THESE increases will have the effect
OF speeding up the original six-vear
program by an entire fiscal year,
because the money the Senate added
would not otherwise come until the
fiscal year 1899.
First Appropriations.
incidentally those are the first an
preparations toward the Copeland
f1ood-control program since it was
authorized. In raising the House
hgures the Appropriations Commit
tee stipulated, however. that if the
PRESIDENT decides TO allocate part of
the new relief appropriation for food
control projects, the amounts in the
War Department bill will be reduced
proportionately.
OF the s633,322 900 in the War De-
partment bill, s416,482,O32 is to run
the military establishment, net
increase of only s73O,5OO over the
House. The remainder, s246,84o, o,463.
is for the non-military activities.
such as food control, river and har-
Dor projects, The House changed the
usual procedure this year by pass
ing separate bills for the military and
non-military activities, but because the
new fiscal year begins in less than two
weeks the Senate combined the two,
as in former years. to expedite pas
sage.
The Senate committee restored
House cut of s756,OOO in the fund for
pay OF enlisted men. which will allow
for an average enlisted strength DIR
ing the year of 10000 men. The
House went on the theory the average
would not go above $4,000. For the
current year the average has been
$4,000 men.
The Senate committee did not
change the House lump sum of sl28,-
oo0,0O0 for maintenance and con.
structlon on ricer and harbor projects
| Inc work schedule for this appro-
prlation allots $4,000 to start a s325-
ooo dredging project to deepen the
channel OF the Potomac along the
Washington water front.