The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-29
THE AGRICULTURAL BILL
Lively House Debate Over the APP
preparation Measure.
Suppression of the Eligible List
E.eadS to Accusations Against the
Civil Service acknowledgements
Concerning the Relative stand
ing of Candidates Withheld

| The attendance Of Representatives was
! small when the House met at noon today.
Mr.. Stephens Of Texas arose to a question
| Of personal privilege and repealed an in
| situation" made yesterday by Atr. Flynn
| that he (Mr. Stephens. had engrafted upon
a bill at the last session provision which
| the House knew nothing about. Mr. Ste
phens said a bill containing the same pro-
| vision had been introduced by Mr. Flynn.
| Mr.. Flynn explained this. but charged Mr.
| Stephens with bad faith Mr.. Stephens
| said that the gentleman from Oklahoma
utters faIsehood knowingly and mali
cieusIy-"
! Mr. Flynn-That is very strong language,
| 1fr Chairman
At this point the Speaker called the dis
Putants TO order.
/ Mr.. Hull moved to call up from the
/ Speakers table the Army Reorganization
! bill. the conference report on which was
| agreed to by the managers on the part Of
I both Houses of Congress and which re-
port vas adopted by the House Of Repre-
! sentatives, but rejected by the Senate
/ Mr. Richardson Of Tennessee opposed
| this motion, making the point that it was
! not privileged. The Chair ruled that it
was Mr.. Hull then moved that the House
I sLill further insist on its amendments and
J agree to a conference with the managers
/ on the part OF The Senate Mr. Richard
| son opposed this, but after a cOIioquy be
I tween the gentlemen from Tennessee and
Iowa the House agreed to the conference.
Mr. Hull explained that the conference
/ report had been rejected by The Senate
! because Of certain clerical errors consist
ing mainly Of incorrectly numbered
| amendments. Messrs. Hull, Browniow,
! and Hay were named as conferees-
/ Mr. WadswoTth then moved that the
I House go into Committee of the Whole for
/ consideration OF the Agricultural Ap2ro-
| prlaIIon tiI- Mr. Payne took the chair
and consideration of the bill vas entered
upon. Mr. Wadsworth IN explanation Of
the measure read the committee report
/ accompanying it.
MIR Robinson Of Indiana asked, What
! does this bill provide in the matter OF
civil seryico retirement
Mr. Observation-Disclosures
Mr.. Ro5inson-What does it provide N
| the matter Of Vacations
| Mr. WadsHorth-It contains the usual
provisions giving to employees thirty days
leave.
Mr. RobInson-Does it contain anything
on the subject of good roads?
Mr.. Wadsworth-It does not
Mr. BCGtell Of Illinois asked some qUes-
tions about the eligible lists Of micro
scopists- He wanted to know the reason
for keeping the register closed, saying
that he had been refused information by
the Civil Service Commission concerning
the relative standing OF eligibles-
MIR. Mann answered the question say
ing that the rolls ~ere kept closed At the
request CT the Secretary Of Agriculture.
Mt Fitzgerald Of Massachusetts charged
that the department Of Agriculture had
corning the standing Of eiigibles on its
register when such Information was re-
quested.
Mr. Grosvenor said this vas fnforma-
ton which no member Of Congress should
ask for.
Mr.. Fitzgearld insisted that Mr.. Grosve-
nor had received some kind OF inside in
formation, judging from the number Of
appointments ne had secured
Mr. Grcsvenor said the Implication was
not Just: that he did not seek 10 learn the
( relative standing Of eIigibleS and that ne
had never sought 10 have any appoint
mems made unless such appointments
were warranted by the standing Of the eli
gibIes on The list
| Mr.. BGuteu and Mr.. GIUett of Massa-
chusetts said the closed roll was against
the spirit OF the Civil Service law They
/ thought that every Civil Service roll
should be Cpen TO the eligibles, 10 the pub
lie and to members Of Congress.
Mr. Green OF Pennsylvania said that the
( closed roll indicated to him thar there IS
something rotten in the civil service sys-
ten somewhere
Mr. Williams Of Mississippi said that be
took il for granted that he was recognized
as q Democrat and q partisan He said
The present Secretary Of Agriculture is
absolutely the best Secretary that depart
meut has ever had" Mr. Williams said
| that the reason Of the Secretary IN asking
the Civil Service Commission 10 close the
roll was TO protect himself against parti-
san political Republican pressure, and that
this motion was il ConsOnarce with the
| spirit Of the Civil Service law.
| Mr. Thayer Of Massa Chusetts. taking ad-
| vantage Of the latitude allowed in gen
! eraI debate on appropriation bills. deiiv-
cred q speech against the Hanna Ship
Subsidy bill. He contended that this bill
Is formed for the benefit Of q trust Of
/ ship owners and not in the interest Of the
/ American Merchant Marine He Thought
If the bill passes It would not result in
/ the sale of one more pound Of American
goods than is sold at present Charity TO
, ship owners would operate as does charity
to other individuaIs-it puts them out OF
/ harmony with the idea Of earning an hon
est living. Mr. Thayer was closely lis
I tened TO by a large number OF the Demo-
/ cratic members and by a few Republicans
notably Messrs. Brosius. Hill OF Connec-
| ticut. and Southland