The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-02-02
Grosvenor's Sarcasm Aimed at
the Secretary.
he LOOTED THE SERVICE
WE NOW PAY $4,000 TO SUPPORT
KING OF SAMOA.
m,mlLLlN DOES NOT FAVOR IT
Stone Uanted to Know if the King Was
Under Civil Service--Cleseland's
Eleventh Hour Dash For
Economy.

Washington, Feb. LIN the House to-
sav an Intellectual attempt was made to
s,tr;ka ont the appropriation of $4,000 paid
nv the United States annually under the
Rerlin treaty for the maintenance OF the
King of Samoa and the present govern
ment of the Samoan islands.
Mr.. Sherman rep, N. ", from the
committee ON Interstate Commerce, call
ed up what is known as the "anti-scalper
railroad ticket bill. A half dozen mem
beers Jumped to their feet.
Mr.. w. A. Stone (Rep., Pa.), raised the
question OF consideration against ohe
bill, and the House, by q vote OF on 10
IS, refused TO consider ut.
While the bill to reduce the amount
allowed steamboat inspectors from 10
cents a mile was being consioereu' III.
Grosyenor sarcastically remarked that
he was delighted to sc so many eVaaen-
ces of economy ON the part of the present
administration, all taking the direction Oh
reducing salaries and fees, but he was
impressed with the peculiar fact that
these Recommendations came just as the
administration was going out or power.
In Justice to the Secretary of the Treas
nry. AIR. Payne called Mr.. Grosvenors
ahttentiou to the fact that ne had made
this recommendation in May, 1896.
Mr.. Grosyenor said his observations
would apply also to the State Depart
ment. He spoke satirically of that Mas
saehusetts spokesman, the president OF
civil service reform ASSOCIATION who had
come to Washington at the beginning OF
this administra ton, and who had as
saulted, rified and looted" the Consular
service "In sixty days. said he, he
turned out so per cent of the Consular
officers, and filed their places with I'M
tanned, unexamined and incompetent
men. The State Department has now
discovered that the emoluments and fees
of our consuls are too high, and an order
has been issued stripping some of them
of their emoluments until their eompen-
sation is now hardly respectable
Mr.. Grosvenor said he was delighted
with this sudden burst OF economy ON the
part of the administration but he Thought
il came rather late. The bill was passed.
A hill to pay p. J. Rit7er, of Knox
county, Kentucky, $500 for two mules
taken by the Union army provoked an
hours debate and was finally defeated.
T,heneupon the House went into colnmA-
tee of the whole and took up the con-
ssaieratim OF the diplomatic and consular
bill.
Mr.. Hitt, chairman of the comznfttee
on foreign affairs, who was IN charge of
the measure, explained the provisions of
the bill. The changes, me said, were
very slight In response TO question by
Mr.. Henderson, (Republian, Iowal, Mr..
HIT explained that the positions IN the
consular service paying in salaries or
fees between 1000 and $1,000 would
hereafter, in accordance with the Presi-
dents order, be filled from those holddng
positions i'm the State Department or
from those whe might be selected BY the
President for examination. He sand the
examination was conducted by a board,
NOT by the civil service commission and
that he had been informed that majord-
ty OF those so selected had failed By ex-
aunination. Mr.. McCreaTy, Dem., Ky.),
followed with a few observations i'm the
course OF which Mr.. Turner, (Dem., Ga.),
asked him if there was not an appropeaa-
ton an the bill which made the United
States a party TO the maintenance OF a
king of the Samoan islands.
Mr.. McCreary said that while he did
not approve OF that provision OF the Ber-
Inn treaty, that treaty bound the United
States to pay annually $4,000 toward the
maintenance Of the King of Samoa and
the government existing there.
Mr.. w. A. Stone, rep, PENN, created
laugh by asking if the King was under
the protection of the civil service rules.
Mr.. McMTllin, Dem., TENN, protested
that mo treaty obligations should compel
the people of the United States to aid
i'm the support of a kingly government.
Not even the Queen of Hawaii" put
in Mr.. Morse, rep, Mass.)
MIR. McCreary said the treaty was
made during the administration of Mr..
Harrison.
When this item was reached in the bill
Mr.. McMillin moved ITO strike it out, but
the House without division declined to do
so.
After completing 10 of the u pages OF
the bill the committee rose and at $40
n m. the House adjourned
DIED.