The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-09
TRYING To SAVE
NATIONS MONEY
SOME OF THE coNGRESSMEN
OBJECTED TO CERTAIN PROPOSED
EXPENDITURES.

Legislature Appropriation Bill TIN
der Consideration and the Cfvil
Service Commission ROundIy
Scored by Bartlett, Hepburn and
GrOsvenOr-SOme Want Retrench-
nient to Begin in the House Itself.
Washington. Dec. S.-The annual
fight on the Civil Service Commission
was begun in the House to-day during
consideration of the legislative appro-
priation bill. The opposition came
from Messrs. Bartlett of Georgia, Hep
burn of Iowa and Grosvenor of Ohio.
The legislative bill was scrutinized
carefully in consonance with the Pres
ident's recommendation against extrav-
agance. Mr.. Bingham. in charge of
the bill. was required constantly to
explain some particular appropriation
The pay of the stenographers to COM
mite IS of the House was reduced from
$4,000 per annum to $3,000 and the
House refused to accept the provision,
increasing the pay of the secretary to
the Civil Service Commission. But lit
Tic DlOEI0Co was iloilN Oil lnC Dllls
The provision appropriating the SAL
ary for a janitor for the House Com
mittee on Library met with some Dem
ocratic opposition, led by Messrs.
Bartlett and Maddox of Georgia and
Clark of Missouri. and precipitated a
discussion of appropriations generally. e.
Mr. Clark said there were many SUI
pernumerary officials around the House
who ought to be got rid of. The Pres
ident's message, he said, had urged
If the House was going to economize
the best place to commence was the
House itself.
Needs More Time TO LegisIate.
In few vigorous remarks Mr.. Liv-
ingston of Georgia defended the APP
propriations Committee in, the prepara-
tion of the bill. He replied to a criti-
cism by Mr.. Maddox that members
had not had sufficient time to examine
the printed bill by saying that even
II the members were given a week to
examine it they would come in here
as ignorant as a man from Porto
Rico" He lamented the fact. how
ever, that bills appropriating millions
of dollars should be hurried through
in fifty-tWo days. This hurried legis-
lation ought to STOP" he declared.
Congress, he suggested, ought to meet
I'm May and thus give a decent time
10 the legislation of the country. When
the first of December was fixed, he
said, there we're not 20. 900 900 people
to legislate for. but now there are S0,-
900, 900.
The paragraph relating to the civil
service commission elected from Mr..
Maddox OF Georgia severe criticism,
because OF a proposed increase of
twenty-three employees to constitute
the rural carrier examining board.
He declared there was no necessity
for them and that II was the duty OF
this Congress 10 retrench II the state
ment OF the Secretary OF the Treasury
be true. God knows" he said. Il
want this government to stand and be
able 20 pay It's debts without Issuing
bonds or raising additional taxes"
This utterance brought from Mr.. Lit
tauer OF New York an Endorsement OF
Mr. Maddox's retrenchment ideas, but
he said the case IN point happened "a
be one OF the few items OF the bill
where retfcnchment was brought
about by the action Of the committee
because the twenty clerks referred IA
already were az work BY detail from
other Offices,
THE discussion shifted 20 the cues.
tlOn Of the salary ~ the secretary Of
iho commission. The COMMITTEES had
Increased o. from 1880 10 5000. but
40 amendment by ~ Bartlett of oeor-
Continued on Fifih Rage.