Ogden Weekly Standard | 1905-12-15 | Page 4 | Congress and the Canal Funds

CONGRESS AND THE CANAL FUNDS who lave criticized criticised adversely adver eely the action of congress in tho mattai of the caamal emergency bill have not wisely considered tha responsibilities of congress in connection with the expenditure of public funds the law which puts into the bands of congress and of congress alone the appropriation 0 public funds certainly does not contemplate thai congress shall abdicate its responsibilities and turn over Us functions to a group of engineers no matter hew expert it la not only the right of congro its duty to scrutinize falth utmost cara every project calling tar money and it ia only within the week that the president with solemn emphasis reminded congress of this obligation specialists and experts have invariably a bias of their own professional interest permit the canal engineers to engage their own appropriations and there will be no limit to their demands it Is for congress into choso whoso lundi the people have given authority tha national fund to apply the rule of business bisci elion to the projects and estimates of the engineers gi nd to determine the policies of the government with prospect to them this is precisely what congress has done and the way in which it has dono it Is sure to have wholesome influence upon tho future action of the canal engineers in the work of building a canal there should ba no of money all that Is sheild be freely and prompt ly allowed but tho project is a vast one calling for sums and if there hall bo a carel cbs method of appropriation th waste will surely be great Is a cabe where not only a definite responsibility bat a reasonable prudence pru jence calls for caution and careful methods congress WAS right in the action which put th demands of the eai ginestra under the microscope and declines to shovel oat milona with a creless cr eleas hand bucauto millions were carelessly ns kd for