Evening star., 1900-03-29
FITTINGS ON THE SUMNER
REPRESENTATIVE briggs PRO-
TESTS AGAINST EXTRAVAGANCE.
Chairman Hull Does Not Believe That
There Has Been ReckIessness
IN Expenditures.

1'uA iiis liIe CUHSIueTdllON ol lne army Dill
in the House yesterday, when the para
graph appropriating s45O,OOO for building
military telegraph and cable lines in Alaska
was reached Mr.. Moody (Mass) offered an
amendment, which was adopted, requiring
that all commercial receipts over the lines
should be accounted for and covered into
the treasury.
Mr.. Fitzgerald (Mass.) offered an amend
ment to pay to the heirs of officers and en-
listed men in the regular army who have
died in the service since January 1, 1885,
two months extra pay. The amendment
went out on point Of order.
Mr.. Mahon Pa) moved to strike out
from the provision empowering the Secre-
tary or w ar to employ and assign the clerks
and messengers 15S in number in his de-
purpose was to prevent the Secretary from
employing clerks from outside the pale Of
the civil service. The amendment was
adopted.
Mr.. Ash CWis.). on behalf of the commit
tee, offered an amendment to reduce the
appropriation for travel allowance to en-
listed men on discharge from s3,0o0.o00 TO
S2,pOOJO, and to provide for the commuta-
tion of mileage al the rate of cents mile
Mr.. Ash explained that discharge mileage
was now computed under an old statute
passed in 1872, by which, for instance, a
colonel would be allowed s2,39S to travel
from San Francisco to Washington, where
as his railroad fare would be but ST.
Mr.. Marsh Qll) made a point of order
against the amendment, which was sus-
tanned.
The Fittings of the Sumner
Speaking to a pro forma amendment Mr.
briggs (N.Y called attention to a news
paper article describing the luxurious fit
tings of the transport Sumner, which, he
said. was remOdeled at enormous cost. Mr.
briggs said the enormity of the extrava-
gance in the fitting of the ship was beyond
credence. An 5000 silver service had been
placed in her, he said, with cut-glass tum-
blerS which cost 10 cents apiece. The pala-
tial furnishings of the Sumner were such
as could be found nowhere except upon a
millionaire's yacht. He contrasted the con-
dtion of this transport with those employed
by the government when the soldiers were
being sent out to fight their country's bat
ties during the Spanish war. Mr.. briggs
said he proposed to introduce a resolution
to Investigate the extravaganza in fitting
up the Sumner.
Mr. Hull said the other side was now oc-
cupying strange position. During the war
the complaint was that the transports were
not good enough; now the complaint was
that our soldiers were to be treated too
well. Mr.. Hull eulogized our transport sys-
| TEN, which, he said, was the best in the
world If there was reckless extrayagance
| in fitting out the transports. Mr.. Hull said
this information could be obtained at the
War Department. But he predicted if the
Information was called Tor 1t would be
| found that while the troopships had been
| fitted up splendidly there had been no reck-
lessness in the expenditures.
Mr.. briggs said his only desire was to
| criticise unjustifiable extravaganza
Mr.. Cannon Ull.) contributed to the de-
| bate eulogy Of the quartermaster general
| Of the army. who, he was convinced, would
| not be guilty of undue extravaganza
Mr.. Lentz (Ohio) offered an amendment
providing that no part of the money appro-
| priated for the pay of the army should be
| paid TO the son of any member of Congress
who had secured his appointment since the
| destruction of the battle ship Maine. Ii
| was ruled out on a point of order
| Recurring to the newspaper article read
! by Mr.. briggs. Mr.. Wheeler Ky) deliv-
| cred an appeal against extravaganza If
! it was unpatriotic to protest against that.
! he said, he was willing to take the respon.
| sibility of being unpatriotic
| Mr.. Cochran CMo) also inveighed against
| profligacy in expenditures.
| Without completing the consideration O,
| the bill the conference report on the urgent
| deficiency bill was agreed to- and at Sid
| pm. the House adjourned.