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Show 106 project.175 The Secretary is empowered to receive cash contri- butions from private parties to be expended in connection with federal funds appropriated for any authorized project whenever such work may be considered by the Chief of En- gineers as advantageous to the interests of navigation.176 If local contributions made in accordance with specific require- ment or under general authority exceed the cost of the work contemplated and chargeable to such contribution, the excess may be returned unless the provision of law enabling such contribution requires retention of the excess.177 Moreover, the Secretary may receive and expend funds advanced by local interests for the "immediate prosecution" of a project; with specified exceptions, he is directed to repay such advances with- out interest from later appropriations.178 Congress has also prescribed certain generally applicable re- strictions on the use of funds. For example, it specified in 1919-that no funds appropriated for works of river and harbor improvement "shall be used to pay for any work done by pri- vate contract if the contract price is more than 25 per centum in excess of the estimated cost of doing the work by Govern- ment plant."17fl Another restriction appears in an 1892 statute providing that no money appropriated for the improvement of rivers and harbors shall be expended "for dredging inside of harbor lines duly established."180 Nor may funds authorized "B See, e. g., Act of March 2,1945, § 2, 59 Stat. 10,13, where local interests were required to contribute 50% of the first cost of improvement of Jones Inlet, New York, which is estimated to be $2,420,000 and to furnish nec- essary lands, easements, and rights-of-way. See Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army, pp. 232-233 (1949). 178 Act of March 4, 1915, § 4, 38 Stat. 1049, 1053, 33 U. S. O. 560. mId. "'Act of March 3, 1925, § 11, 43 Stat. 1186, 1197, 33 U. S. O. 561. 179 Act of March 2, 1919 § 8, 40 Stat. 1275, 1290, 33 U. S. C. 624. The Act also required that, "in estimating the cost of doing the work by Gov- ernment plant, including the cost of labor and materials, there shall also be taken into account proper charges for depreciation of plant and all su- pervising and overhead expenses and interest on the capital invested in the Government plant, but the rate of interest shall not exceed the maximum prevailing rate being paid by the United States on current issues of bonds or other evidences of indebtedness." Id. 180 Act of July 13,1892, § 5, 27 Stat. 88, 111. |