Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-15
IN THE HOUSE.
Civil Service Matters to Be Thoroughly Con
sidered Before Acted Upon.

/ Washington, Dec. A.-The House, to-
| day. after a session of about two
hours. adjourned out Of sympathy for
the President, whose mother was DUR
led at Canton. this afternoon.
The time of the session was devoted
to the consideration of the Legislative,
executive and judicial appropriation
bill
1t was decided to postpone the con-
sideraton Of the item providing for the
maintenance of the civil service com
mission until after the other features
of the bill had been concluded.
1t was apparent from the remarks
| made, today, that the entire subject
will be exhaustively debated. There i;
seemingly no disposition to curtail the
discussion and it probably will not be
concluded before the holiday recess.
| So absorbing it the topic that almost
| the entire time. today. was consumed
| in debate upon it.
On motion of Lawrence. Rep. Massa
chusetts, Saturday January S. was set
aside for paying tribute to the memory OF
the late Representative Wright. his pre-
decessor. Then without further pre-
| liminary business the House went into
committee of the whole and proceeded to
consideration of the legislative. executive
and judicial appropriation bills. Bing-
| ham. Rep. Pennsylvania in charge of
the measure explained its provisions IN
| detail.
| Bingham said he would offer amend
| ment to reduce the clerical force in the
pension office by sc clerks. involving
! reduction of $4,000 in salaries.
Bingham said that he and his col
| leagues on the appropriation committee
| felt satisfied that reduction of from
| 70, h., MAJ in, h.
salaries of subordinate officers by a pro-
cess of wedding without in any way i'm
| pairing the government service and
| therefore every suggestion from heads of
| departments for increases of salaries had
been rejected. He called attention to the
| provisions of the bill curtailing the sick
| leave allowed clerks which had been
| greatly abused. Investigation had shown
that in addition to the regular 80 day
| leave 10 per cent of the clerks obtained
| each year 80 day sick leaves.
Bingham did not discuss the appropra-
| ton providing for the maintenance of the
| civil service commission but stated that
the widest latitude would be allowed for
debate. even if it should run over the
holiday recess. He asked. however, that
the provision of the bill relating to the
civil service and the debate thereon
should go over until after the considera-
ton of the other features Of the bills
were concluded.
Grosvenor Ohio. under whose direction
| the fight on the civil service law is being
made expressed the opinion that the bill
sould not be pressed to final vote until
after the holidays. While he did not
favor an attack on the appropriation in
this bill the country was greatly inter
ested in the subject and he thought il
could be discussed with profit at this
time.
Binghams request was agreed to, and
an hour and half was set aside for gen
eral debate on the rest of the bill.
Barrett, Rep. Massachusetts. made
some general remarks in support of the
| civil service law, in the course of which
he referred to the slender minority
| against the civil service law when it
passed the House in 1883. The vote stood
155 to At. But three of that minority. he
said. were now members of the House
Bland. Dem, Mo-: Mcmillan. Dem.
Tenn; and Steele. Rep. Ind.
This statement flushed a series of ex-
plantations that gave the anti-civil ser
vice members repeated opportunities to
applaud. First Steel arose and said he
had never had occasion to apologize for
that vote. Then Brumm. Rep. Pa.
called attention to the fact that his name
as member of the House who voted
against the measure, had been over
looked. He was proud he said. to be in
cluded in the roll of honor" MARSH
Rep. Ills. also claimed a place on the lis,
and added that he had never cast Il vote
with which he was better satisfied
Cannon, Rep. ILL.,. and Bingham. Rep.
Pa. reiterated their opposition to the
broad extension of the law by Executive
orders. The latter explained that the law
was passed under suspension of the rules
practically without debate and never con-
tSmplated an extension by Executive or
ders that would cover 5000 government
employees. There was much applause and
laughter during this series of statements
and Dockery. Dem. Mo. suggested that
the members of the other side TO save
time, have leave to file their apologies
| for voting for the law.
Barrett. continuing. insisted that the
law Republican measure. passed
by Republican votes and that the party
was irrevocably committed to the policy
of civil service reform The Republicans
of Massachusetts, he said. believed in
leaving the law and its administration to
the Republican President in the White
House
Moody. Rep. Mass. said he was will
ing to give a hearing on the civil service
question and he did not propose to give
Il Judgment in advance.
| Grosvenor commended this statement
All he asked was that the House should
honestly consider the question and give
its careful Judgment. 'The statesman
ship that does not do it's own thinking"
said he. the craftsmanship that only
respects what others say is the states
manship the parrot displays in the course
of his morning ablutions.'
| Dockery. Dem. Mo. discussed the
amazing growth of the expenditures of
the government during the recent years.
| The ordinary expenses of the govern
ment. exclusive of the public debt. the
last eight years. exceeded those of the
| preceding eight years by 81 ,0G0 600 900 in
round numbers.
| In view of this fact. there were only
| two ways. he said, to bring the receipts
and expenditures together. Either taxa
| ton must be increased or the expenses
must be curtailed. If the expenses were
to be reduced. Congress alone could not
accomplish much without the aid of tho
executive branch of the government.
Despite the Presidents appeal in his
message for economy the executive
branches of the government had sub
lntted to Congress estimates for appro-
priations OF &1,OCO,OOO in excess of the ap-
propriations for the current year
AT this point the committee rose and
Grosvenor, Rep, Ohio, addressing the
chair. said Mr.. Speaker-As is well