The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-04-20
Argued Coast Survey
Should Do It.
Point OF Order Against Naval
Academy Oyerruled.

Washington, April I9.-Ths House
spent practically the entire day dsbatiug
. proposition In the naval bin designst-
cd to turn over to the navy the ssrvey
and charting Of tho waters Of Cuba. Por-
to Kico and tho Philippines. The bill
carried an appropriation OF tat0. COO for
this purpose. Mr. Common, chairman
Of the appropriations committee, LED the
fight against 10 arguing that survey Of
thoss watsrs should be mads BY the coast
sud gsodetio survey which. he said, could
90 the work cheaper and bsttsr. In
the end, the House sustained bis view
adopting on amsndmsnt offered by him
10 appropriate only the regular $40 900
for ocean surveys The chairman Of the
committee OF the whole, Mr. Payne.
oserruled the point Of order against the
appropriation for the nav naval aoade-
my. bnt an amendment offered By Mr..
Cannon was adopted providing that be-
fore the money appropriated BY the bill
for the academy be expended plans for
the whole improvement to costssnot to
exceed $1,000, COZ shall be submitted and
approved by the score tary of the navy.
When thu Houss resumed tbs oonsid-
Grafton Of the naval appropriation bill
point OF order, raised by Mr.. Cannon.
chairman Of tbs appropriations commit
tee vas psndiag against The appropria-
tion Of se50, $50 for the Naval Academy at
A nnapolis, Decision upon IL was waved
temporarily and the section relating to
ocean and lake surveys which was passed
over yesterday wss takan up under an
arranssmsut for an hours debate on each
sida
Mr.. Cannon offered as an amendment
to the section (whiah appropriated $780,
900 for tho surveys Of tins island OF Guam.
Hawaii, Philippines. Porto Rioo, and
removal Of obstruotiana from GRAFT
Lakesi Q simple Irovision approprlatins
$4,000 foe continuing ocean survey.
MIR. Moody OF Massachusetts,, advocated
the susndment. He pointed out that the
prepositien In the bill was designed to
ores BE- q rival OF the coast and 9 sodstio
sarvey In the navy dspartm emit. The
navy had sought many times to control
10, Commissions had team appointed.
AL had rspoRtsd sgainst 1t. To place
portion Of the work undsr the control OF
ths military he sdo, would b. the first
stsp In the wrong direction and should
lie resisted to thu end To yield wou1
bs to incur the trst danger Of militar-
Ism 60 much dreaded. Ccast survey work
propsrly belonged to the sphere Of civil
lifs. The work Of the naval observatory
was, he said, the hug hing stock OF the
scientific world. Every man to his own
trade. MIR. Ecss replied that IL was not
the purpose of the committee to abolish
TIE coast and gsodstic survey. but sinr-
iy 10 ocniiEe it to the jurisdiction erigi-
nally given 1t under the revised ttatutss.
A lively debate followed. Mr.. McRae
Of Arkansas supported the amendment.
Mr. Littleiisld Of Maine oppessu 1t In
vigorous speech In which he euloRizsd
thu navy and rebuked Mr.. Moody for
ridiauling the work of naval officers and
the naval observatory. Mr.. Cummings
OF New York also opposed the amend
msnt, arguing that the proposed surveys
should bs made by the navy, not by
ssmi-politioal bureau like the coast and
esodstic survey. he poked fan at the
suparintendent Of the survey who, he
said, ' flew his own flag while s6cat like
a dag officer Of the navy. He read a let.
ter from q man now In the survey who
had ssrveL 20 yssrs at sea. The letter de-
ribbed the work rs Hpie."
"Nohody knows anything but me. IL
said. "I am commanding officer. was
only q boatswain In the navy"
MI. Cannon concluded the debate In
favor Of the amendment. The oiticsrs
Of the navy ware educated to fight. he
said, not to perform civil duties.
"In the performance Of OWL duties, -
said he, with emphasis. "thsy are the
most Incompetent and the most expen-
| sivs."
In the burst of applause that followed
this uttsrancs soma ons cried oat some
thing about Dewey"
"oh, am not talking politics." re-
sponded MIR. Cannon, 81 am talking dol
| lars and cents and an efficient survey.
am q great adm irer Of Admiral Dewey
and ali the other officers and men who
ssrys d In the Spanish war. love them
20 well that when see mon trying TO set
them at work ct something as which
they cannot sustain themselves call q
halt. a. daughter and appiauss.l
Aftsr very pro1r~sted debate under
the fvs-minute rule. IN which many
mem bers on hoth sidss participated. Mr..
Cannon's amendment was adevtsd Ill
to 20. The chair then oveRruled the POINT
OF order pending against the arpropria-
tion Of $3.50 900 for the new naval acads-
my at Annapolis.
Mr.. cannon thereupon moved an
amendment to limit the total cost OF thS
proposed Improvements 1t Annapolis