The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-30
Made Text Of Speeches by Richardson
and Suller.
No Pensions to Weather
Bureau Employees.
Bill for This Purpose Probably
Side Tracked.

wAshin aton, January 29.-Tne bill for
the rs-oFganization and improvement Of
the weather bureau, which includes pro-
vision for pensioning disabled and aged
employee Of the services. received black
eye In the House today. The bill was
Utterly fought BY the opponents Of civil
p,nsion rolls on account Of the life ten
urs provision ID contained and II was
side-tracked ON o test vote Of 81 TO ~.
Although the speaker ruled that II
remain unfinished business when .the
HOUSE was again In committee OF the
whole, the opponents Of the measure IT,
lieve the action today kills 10. The earl
portion Of the day was devoted to a lively
scrimmags over tds Sulzer resolution
to investigate Secretary Gage which the
committee on rules reoop,me nded should
be sent to the ways and means commit
tee rs the latter committee has the re-
Spouse Of the secretary iu.its possession.
Thee was no opposition to the pro-
posed action, but Mr.. Richardson Of
Tennessee and Mr.. Sulzer of New York
used 1t as q text for renewing their at
tacks on the secretary. Mr.. Gage was
defended by Mr.. Hopkins Of Illinois. Mr..
Hin Of Connecticut and Mr. Dalzell Of
Pennsylvania.
A bill to require pilots and officers Of
steam vessels to make oath to their ap.
piications for licenses was psssed.
Mr.. Dalzell of Pennsylvania. from the
committee on rules. reported back the
Sulzer resolution for the appointment
Of q special committee to investigate the
deposit Of public funds BY Sscrstary Gage
In New York banks, and all the transso-
tions relative to the sale Of the New York
custom house, with the Recommendation
that IL be referred to the ways and
means committee. After . spirited de-
bate the Recommendation was adopt ted
without division.
MIR. Richardson OF Tennessee, leader Of
the minori ~, said he was not opposed
to the references Of the resolution to the
ways and means committee, but he was
decidedly Of the opinion that An invssti-
CATION should be made.
A few days ago. he said, he had insist
ed that there must be some reason why
the National City bank Of New York had
so completed Its title to the custom house
property purchased from the government.
The government had taken q paper credit
for 81, 2l5, 600. which left the pitiful sum
Of $50, 900 still due the government Why
could the credit not have been for the
full amount There must be some rsa-
son, said Mr.. Richardson. eft has bssn
the intention Of the secretary Of the
treasury, he said, to relieve the bank OF
Its tax obligation to the state and city
Of New York by retaining the title In
the government. The government had
agreed to pay rent for the property, yet
the bank was not to pay taxes upon It,
He called ATTENTION to the letter Of the
secretary of the treasury asking to appro-
pirate sIO90C0 for the property sold In
the manner he had described to prevent
the baak from being liable for taxes.
"If that was the secretary . motive"
said Mr.. Richardson, ~ am here to oon-
denim 1t and to insist that 1t Ill becomes
the secretary Of the treasury to 60 into
partnership with a private corporation"
1no NntAouoA SAsy SsAS Va @N0V ~SA.t
Mr.. Richardson said, has been able to
earn interest upon the %. 2l0. 900 1t had
nominaliy paid the government. interest
upon the bonds Ii had deposited to retain
this money and to change the govern
msnt rental to per cont Of the pur-
chase prios. In other words. he said, this
juggling has enabled the bank to make
$751;, 900 up to date.
Mr.. Richardson said he was surprised
that the secretary Of the treasury had
not already asked to be allowed TO make
an explanation.
Mr.. Sulzss of New York, euthor Of tbs
resolution, followed Mr.. Richardson. He
said the Republican party dared not
smother or ignore the resolution. The