Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-16
N T H e H o U S E
Only One Branch of Congress in Session
Today.
The Time Occupied in a Discussion OF
the Coast and Geodetic
Survey Bureau.

Rev. W. j. Cooke Of this city oficiated at
the opening OF the House this morning. A
resolution directing the Secretary of the
Treasury to inform the House what meas
ures, II any, have been taken by him. under
the act OF February, 1893, authorizing the
Secretary of the Treasury to provide for
local supervision and construction of public
buildings, was passed on motion of Mr..
Cadmus On. j..
The Coast Survey.
The House then, without further inter-
vening business, went into committee of the
whole and the consideration of the sundry
civil appropriation bill was resumed The
pending amendment was that of Mr. Enloe
CTenn), authorizing the investigation Of the
coast and geodetic survey, to determine the
adVlsabillty. of the transfer of this bureau
to the Navy Department Mr. Outhwaite
tOnlo) took the floor in defense of the bu-
reau, the Importance of its work and the
efficiency of the service He denied that
MI Enloe on yesterday had produced any
evidence to sustain the charges he had made
against this bureau in so far as they re-
lated TO the management Of the pres
ent superintendent, Prof. Mendenhall, OIL
his predecessor, Prof. Thorne
He paid high tribute to the character
and ability OF Prof. Mendenhall, who, Re
said, had been placed at The head OF this
great scientific bureau of the government
by President Harrison IN account of mis-
acknowledged position in the scientific
world. not for political reasons. He showed
from the constantly reduced estimates TN
der the Mendenhall regime that the present
superintendent was keeping expenditures
down to the minimum.
Mr. Mahon pa also spoke briefly in
commentator of the present superintend-
ent of the coast and geodetic survey and
the Importance OF the work performed by
his bureau.
He intimated that the purpose of the con-
templated transfer Of the bureau was to
get rid of a republican office holder.
Mr.. Covert (N.YD likewise opposed the
Enloe amendment Its whole purpose he
said, was to cast unmerited dispersion upon
a faithful officer and an efficient bureau
Of the government.
Mr.. Sickles On. W characterized the
work of this bureau as a monument u,
the successful application of scientific
knowledge to commerce. He told the story
OF the showing made by this bureau at
the international geographical congress in
Paris. of which he had charge, In the late
sixties. and of the distinguished compli-
ments paid to this work by the lord high
admiral Of the navy. Every volume of the
coast and geodetic survey received favora-
BILE mention in the report Of that congress.
The vote was then taken upon the Enloe
amendment.
The Amendment Defeated.
On a rising vote il resulted-ayes, So;
rays. Il.
Mr.. Enloe demanded tellers. BY tellers
the decision of the first vote was reaf-
flrmed and the amendment was defeated
S1-104.
The Debate Continues.
Mr.. Hooker (Aiiss.), who had been unable
to secure an opportunity to speak during
the discussion of the main amendment. Of
fered a pro forme amendment, and argued
against the proposed transfer. No more
striking Illustration OF the importance OF
the work of this bureau could be furnished
than the wreck of the kearsarge, which
went ashore on Roncador Reef, owing to
insufficient survey.
Mr. Cummings (NY.), who followed, ar.
raigned the work of the survey. The boring
worm of the south, said he, bored into the
bottoms of vessels and created deficiencies
in the navy. For years boring worms had
been at work under the copper sheathing
OF the ship of state One of them was the
geological survey, which originated in an
item in an appropriation bill, and which had
eaten up s2O,o0.OO0 of the peoples money.
and another was the coast and geodeiic
survey, which had eaten up S30,0o0,Oo0.
Mr.. Enloe concluded the DEBATE with a
few parting words TO his victorious oppo-
nents. He announced that long as he
held a seat in the House he would each
geodetic survey was reformed or abolished.
An amendment offered by Mr.. Loud (Cal.)
directing the superintendent of the cast
and geodetic survey to survey San Fran
cisco harbor and the approaches thereto
was adopted.
Mr. Hopkins Qll) made the point of order
against the paragraph requiring the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to reorganize the Of
fce force for surveys so as to bring the to-
tai compensation within $4,000, that II
delegated legislative authority to the Sec
rotary Of the Treasury.
Mr. Hopkins Motion.
The chair overruled the point Of order,
whereupon Mr.. Hopkins moved to strike
out the paragraph. He characterized this
authorization for a reorganization as an at
tempt to do in an underhanded way what
Mr.. Enloe wanted to do openly 1t was a
cowardly attack on the bureau. In his opin-
ion there was no doubt that Il was the pur-
porse of this democratic House to abolish
this bureau. They had not the courage to
wipe ii out, so they proposed to transfer
1t to a department Of the government The
executive head Of which they knew to be
an enemy of the civil service law.
Mr.. Dingley thought the effect of this
paragraph would practically be to take the
clerical force of the survey bureau out CT
the pale of the civil service law. No great
er misfortune could happen to a ScIentf6c