The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-03-23
The Uses and Abuses of BIZ
Appropriations Discussed
by the Senate.
THE Silent Man from California
Makes a Great Talk for
His State.
All the senators Favor Government
Buildings, ingalls, Especially Cham
pions the Cause of the West.

bill reached was one approprlatlng three
hundred thousand dollars for a public
building at San Diego. Cal. Sherman sug
gested that that was large appropriation,
He had been in San Diego short time ago
which was then comparatively small
place. If there is any special reason fol
such large appropriation be would like to
know il.
Stanford. chairman of the committee OIL
public buildings and grounds. stated thai
San Diego had a population of forty thou
sand, and the building was TO accommodat,
the custom house, internal revenue Office
and land office.
Ingalls, inquired as To other appropria-
tions for public buildings in California at
| the present session. Stanford was not pre.
pared 10 furnish the information asked, but
referred ingalls, 10 the proper department.
Ingalls, said the answer was rather vague.
He wanted TO ascertain regarding all such
bills, whether the buildings were needed
and that appropriations ought TO be made
for them In order 10 vote intelligently
There were general complaints, he said. IN
the press that appropriations for public
1 buildings were exorbitant and extravngant
/ He submitted that senator's were entitled IL
\ information before being called upon "a
vote for such large sum. He, therefore
A., repeated his request for information.
| Stanford said If the senator wanted de
tailed report he (Stunfordl would furnish il
to him, but could not do 50 from memory
| The bill passed authorizing the secretar,
of the interior to negotiate for the sale IL
the United States of the western part of the
Grow Indian reservation in Montana.
a ...t.
vided for the appropriation of only 500.
coo; that he had referred the matter 10 the
supervising architect of the treasury. and
officially recommended an appropriation oi
| S50O.0Or. Morgan said six years ago San
Diego had not more than 1900 inhabitants,
while now il had 5000 or 10000. IL WAS Il
remarkable instance of expansion, of
American enterprise and industry. liz
houses were ON magnificent scale. and
the city surrounding the beautiful harboi
Was something TO excite the pride of Ameri
cans. lts harbor not only admitted the
| largest ships and steamers OH the Pacific
but was perfectly landlocked. Stanford
withdrew his suggestion to lei the bill Ii,
over till to-day. lie thought the senate was
now prepared 10 pass il.
| Hearst said he would be glad 10 hear from
many senators who had visited California
last year, and had brought away such good
impressions of il. He spoke of San Diego
as having beautiful harbor. and said lis
population and industries were growing
VERY fast; il was railroad center and WA.
becoming military depot, being only tif-
teen miles from the Mexican line. He
would not have spoken of the growing i'm
portance of San Diego as the sen
ators had spoken Of il to-day, least
IL might be supposed he was bulldozing the
senate. He regarded himself as ''the silent
man of tho senate" Laughter While
he was up. he wanted TO say that his COL
league and he intended TO present to the
senate this session their claims for public
buildings all over the state of California.
They intended TO do il honestly; they
did not intend. when they
wanted only Sl0O.OD, 10 ask foI
$30O,0O0 hut they expected ia
get every dollar they asked. They expected
to show they were entitled to it, and they
would Prove IL by every senator who had
been TO California last year, and hc
thanked goodness there had been good loi
of them there. and some of the best of
them. Laughter. He expected to ask for
r postoiiice in san Francisco, 10 ask large
sum of money for il, and 10 have the senate
vote for it. They had put up with a tempo
rary building there, a sort of shed, that had
to to-, be propped mp. up, for h.a the last las,
10 get along with il, but il was down in the
mud flats and dark part of the town, where
no lady would venture at night, and would
hardly venture in daytime. lie would
venture to say no senator who had visited
San Francisco had been driven 10 see the
postoflice az one of the sights Of the city.
Mitchell remarked that the postoilice OF
San Francisco was disgrace 10 the city
and nation.
! Hearst-Of course IL is.
! The five minutes allowed for debate hav
ing expired, unanimous consent was givel
Hearst to continue his remarks, but he did
not avRil himself Of the pr yilege. only say
ing. "well, go ahead and pass the bill and
will have plenty of chances 20 talk on th,
other bills that are coming
/ Dawes said that of all the appropriations
for public buildings that had come before
the senate, there WAS hardly one more Just
than that for San Diego. Ii was one of the
most important harbors on the Pacific
coast. There were three-San Diego, At the
extreme southwest of California; San Fran
cisco aud Puget Sound.
Mitchell Portland. Oregon.
Dawes-Portland is not on the Pacific
coast. hut il is very important place. and
there is every Justification for public
building there. The debate has taken o
wide range. but think il wise debate. 1
think there is an occasion for us 10 con
slider more carefully how far we will er-
tend these public buildings; that they have
got TO 90 more largely west and less in the
east those of us from the east nrr nm
fortunately compelled 20 admit Nothing
SO annoys an eastern man as 10
travel west ana see the immense
developments there. but the difficulty with
public building reports is they go so largely
on the idea Of partition. II Is nothing else
II is the most diiticnlt thing for the com
mittee ON appropriations 10 lose sight OF the
idea Of partition and contine itself 10 the
absolute merits of a case.
Stanford-I have never known a member
Of the committee on public buildings 10 At
tempt 20 gain anything for his locality that
was not based on public interests, and the
committee has made that the controlling
idea IN determining the amount Of the APP
preparation.
ingalls, said there WAS an impression in
the public mind, and which he had derived
from reading newspapers, that appropriR
tiOns ON the riyer aud harbor bill and bills
for public buildings went by favor. aud that
large appropriations had been made for
which there WAS no apparent Just iii-
cation. Public attention bad been called
repeatedly TO tho fact that after the
formal business of the senate was
over tho session had been continued
with far less thnn quorum present,
bills taken up, read asiily and passed with
out reports being read. and without discus
sion, and millions and millions of Appro-
priHtiOns piled up without any reason
given why the bills should have been
passed. The debate to-day had been IN
structive and advantageous. II justified
the action of the committee on the pend
ing bill, which without the explanation