Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-23

building at San Diego, CAL, caused lively
debate in the Senate yesterday. Sherman
asked those behind the scheme some very
pointed questions, but the measure was
finally passed.
WAsHINGTo March 22.-In the Senate
to-day the first bill reached was the one
appropriating $500, 900 for public build
ing at San Diego, Cal. Mr.. Sherman sug-
gested that that was rather large appro-
priation for public building in San Diego.
He had been there short time ago, and it
was then comparatively small place. If
there was any special reason for such
large appropriation ne would like to know
it.
There was general complaint, he said,
in the press of the country that appropria-
tions for public buildings were exorbitant
and extravagant, and that provision was
made for public buildings where they were
not needed. The Senate was now consider
ing one of these bills, and the chairman OF
the committee which reported it had very
curtly replied to him that if he referred to
the report he could satisfy himself. He re-
spectfully submitted that Senators were
entitled to information on matter of pub
lie importance before they were called upon
to vote large sum of $4,000 for building
in San Diego.
HE WANTED TO KNOW.
He therefore repeated his requekt for in
formation as to the number of places in Cal
ifornia for which public buildings had been
provided at the present session and the
amount for each. Mr.. Stanford said that
he was not able to bear in mind what appro-
priations had been made, and he had there
fore referred the Senator from Ohio to the
report. If the Senator wanted detailed
report. he (Mr. Stanford) would furnish it
to him, but he could not do so from memory.
Mr.. Sherman said that all he desired was
to have some general rule applied to public
buildings. There were three or four public
buildings asked for in the State of Ohio,
but he thought that S100, 900 was the largest
appropriation allowed Tor them in such
towns as Dayton and Springfield. He
wanted to see what might be called "a fair
divide" and that the same rule should be
applied by the committee in these cases.
Mr.. Spooner, a member of the Committee
on Public Buildings and Grounds, said that
the propriety of the appropriation for San
Diego was not affected by appropriations for
other places in California. The Senator
the attention of the committee to facts
which he could not now recall in detail;
and had satisfied the committee that the ap-
preparation for San Diego, place rapidly
growing in importance, was not too large.
BEYOND EASTERN COMPREHENSION.
Mr.. Plat spoke of the recent remarkable
growth of San Diego and other towns in
Southern California, which Eastern men
hor 10 mi
as we'll understand that this was great
country, and that it had great needs. San.
Diego was very important place. Its bus
iness was increasing rapidly. In regard to
many of the growing Western towns public
buildings had been appropriated for, but
before the buildings we're completed they
were found to be entirely inadequate. He
instanced Los Angeles as case OF that kind,
and said that Southern California had so
grown in population since the last appor-
tionment that Mr.. Vandever, its representa-
tive in the House, now represented constit-
uency of about soc, 900. San Diego had now
population of from 35, 900 to 10000, and if
it increased in the same ratio for the next
ten years the building provided for in the
bill would not be large enough.
Mr.. Spooner said that the bill as intro
duced provided for an appropriation of
only 5000, 600; that he had referred the mat
ter to the Supervising Architect of the
Treasury and that that official had recon-
mended ansappropriation of $5O0,000.
A GROWING COMMUNITY.
Mr.. Morgan said six years ago San Diego
had not more than 1000 inhabitants, while
now it had $4,000 or 40, 900. 1t was re-
markable instance of the expansion
of American enterprise and indus
try. Its houses were on a magnif- |
cent scale, and the city surrounding
the beautiful harbor was something to ex-
cite the pride of Americans. Its harbor not |
only admitted the very largest ships and !
steamers on the Pacific, but it was perfectly |
landlocked.
Mr.. Ingalls, said that there was a vague |
impression-not very vague, either, but a |
very definite impression-in the public |
mind, and which he had derived from read
ing the newspapers, that appropriations in
the river and harbor bill and in bills for
public buildings, went by favor, like oscu-
lation. and that, in various instances, large
appropriations had been made for which
there was no apparent justification. Pub
lie attention had been called repeatedly to
the fact that after the foreign business of the
Senate was over the session had been con-
tinued with far less than quorum present;
that bills had been taken up nem con, read
anu hastAtty CIV poooCu nibuOuI
the reports being read and without the
slightest discussion, and that millions and
millions in appropriations had been piled
up without any reason being given why the
bills should have been passed.
AN INSTRUCTIVE DEBATE.
The debate to-day had been instructive
and advantageous. 1t justified the action
of the committee on the pending bill, which,
without the explanation given, would have
gone into the same category as those which
had preceded it. He believed that the Gov
ernment of the United States ought never to
be tenant for the premises it occupies, but
that, wherever there was Government occu-
patton there should be Government owner
ship. 1t would be The said) an object lesson
in patriotism, for in every town and village
in the Republic there was place Oarge or
small) from which every day the flag of the
Republic should fly, as an indication that
there was the visible presence and majesty
and power OF the Government.
He had been always in favor of liberal
appropriations for public buildings, and
should be glad to support a measure that
would provide for a postoffice building
wherever the Government had occasion to
hire building. He condemned, however,
the practice that had grown up of extrava-
gance and costliness in public buildings,
and cited, as models of appropriateness, the
buildings for the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing, for the Pension Bureau and for
81 81 /