The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-29
EXPENSES OF TIE ARMY
Third Days Debate on the Appro-
priation Bill in the House.
Discussion Over Alleged Extraya-
Gance in Fitting Up Transport
Probable Corruption Suggested
The Conference Report on the Last
Urgent Deficiency Bill Agreed To.

quite discussion OF the transport service
by charging upon the authority of a news
paper article, extravaganza in the fur
nishing and fitting up of the transport
Summer.
The service was defended by Messrs.
Hull of Iowa, in charge of the bill, and
Cannon of Illinois. Mr.. Wheeler of Ken
tucky expressed the opinion that the man
who was conducting the war in the Phil
ipIines without the authority OF Congress
oTght-t to be impeached, and Mr.. Cochrane
Of Missouri said that the fact that $780,
100000 was spent in the Spanish war was
proof positive of extravaganza, IMPROVE
dence. and probably of corruption among
officials in high places. The expression in
the bill islands in the possession or under
the control of the United States" was
changed to read: Cuba, Porto Rico. the
Philippines, and Hawaii" Seventeen of
the thirty pages of the bill had been dis
posed of when the House adjourned.
Before entering upon the consideration
of the Army bill, the House passed Senate
bill to ratify an agreement made between
the Otoe and Missouri Indians of Okla
homa and the purchasers of their old
reservation in Nebraska, which has been
hanging for seventeen years.
Mr.. Flynn, in whose district the Indians
now reside, explained that in 1888. their
old settlement in Nebraska was sold at
public auction, and that transaction, he
said, was the most scandalous ever known
in the history OF the Land Office.
r. ~. -11 navAt t,n
Commissioner of the Land Office had been
sent to the penitentiary.
The lands We're appraised at 5000, but
the bidding under the assertions of the
land office officials, who said that 1t did
not make any difference how much they
bid. they could get the land at the ap-
praised price. went up to total of S5l6,OOO.
When the bidders found they could not
get the land at the appraised price they
refused to pay.
The bill was debated by Messrs. Lacey,
Flynn, Calderhead, Mondell. Mercer. and
Fitzgerald, and was passed by a vote of
104 to Is. --..,-....... ---......
Mr.. Barry of Wisconsin presented the
conference report on the bill making ap-
preparation for pensions for the year end
ing June 80, 1901. and it was agreed to.
The Army Bill.
The House in Committee of tho Whcle
then proceeded with the consideration OF
the Army Appropriation bill.
Mr. Mcclellan OF New York presented
some figures to show by comparison the
cost of maintaining the military establish
ment of the United States and those of
other countries. He had found in the sew
eral appropriation bills for the current
year items for the military account
amounting to S135, ,297. $50. This was an
average of S1.502 per man of the 10000
now in the army II TO this total was
added the expenditure or account of the
war of rebellion and other wars, the to-
tai for the current year would be S29l,
5S9. .342 Austria Hungary. With an army
of 354 600 on a peace footing, expended
$50, 900 900; England. with an army Of
$50, 000. expended 5000. 600: France, with
al army of 539, 900 expended 1925. 900, 600;
Germany with an army Of 59S.000. eN
pended s136 goo. 900; Italy. WITH an army
OF I0l fee, expended S23 Goa 600. He sub
mitted the figures for the information OF
the House without comTeut expressing
no opinion as to whether the United
States expenditures were large or small.
Mr.. Fitzgerald OF New York offered an
amendment to pay widows or other heirs
Of officers and enlisted men Of the Regular
Army, who have died since the first Of
May, 1898, two months extra pay, thus
putting them on a level with the widows
and heirs of volunteers. 1t went out on
d point of order made by Mr.. Hull. The
paragraph authorizing the Secretary of
War to employ and assign 26s clerks and
II essengers in his department who have
been carried for nearly two years was
amended so as to restrict his authority to
assigning them to their duties. This
will put that number of employees under
the Civil Service Commission.
Mr.. McRae of Arkansas made point Of
order against the prOviso that additional
veterinary surgeons provided for in the
bill (ten at 5000 each) should be graduates
from a recognized veterinary college. and
it went out
New Methods Proposed.
Mr. Esch of Wisconsin offered an amend
mend which he said he was authorized to
d. by the Committee on Military Affairs,
proposing an entirely new method of pay
ing for travel of officers and men. 1t per-
mitted Communication in whole or in part
of any journey at 4 cents a mile, officers
and men alike; but travel to, from, or be
tween our insular possessions in ;he At
lantic and Pacific was not to be commuted.
1t also reduced the appropriation for
travel allowance to enlisted men from
three to two millions.
Mr. Marsh of Illinois, second member of
the committee, made a point of order
against it and il was ruled out.
The paragraph authorizing the increase
OF 20 per cent of the pay OF officers and
men serving in the islands in possession
or under the control of the United States
was amended on motion of Mr.. Hay of Vir-
gjnia so as to read: Serving in Cuba
Porto Rico. or the Philippine Islands" In
connection with the discussion of the
items for the Quartermaster Generals
Office Mr.. briggs had read newspaper
article describing the gOrgeousness with
which the transport Sumner had been fit
ted up, at an alleged expense of $3.50 900.
and vigorously criticised the policy which
permitted this to be done when soldiers.
during the war with Spain, were carried
to and from their destinations in vessels
that were a disgrace to the service
Responding to Mr.. briggs Mr. Hull said
that the criticism upon the transport serv-
ice Of the Government had not come from
the soldiers but it had been left to the
men who did not go into the service Now
they were charging that the soldiers were
being treated too well. Continuing. Mr..
Hull said that when the war broke out the
Government had to take The best ships it
could find FOR transports, ana their cOudi-
ton justified some Of the criticisms regard
ing them. But now the Government had
the best transport service in the
world The ships had been fitted up, not
extrayagautly. but well.
Mr. briggs said he complained only
against the extrayagaut features of the
In a time OF war he would vote
for every dollar and every man asked for
by the President but after war had been
ended he said he would be recreant 10 the
trust reposed in him by his constituents If
be did not declaim against extravaganza IN