The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-30
TWICE MILEAGE
PAY EXPECTED
Representatives in Congress
interested in Question.
AIRING The LAND FRAUDS
Mr.. MoNDELL STANDS FOR
NEEDS OF THE WEST.

nEAsHINGToN. Jan. z9.-The house
Wv today cons.dered whether mem
bers OF congress are entitled TO be
paid mileage a kscond time The con
troversy arose on an item in the urgent
deficiency bin. providing for two pay
ments OF mileage for senators and men,
bers Of the house on account Of the
extra session which merged into the
regular session. \ point of order was
raised by Mr. Maddox of Georgia
/ against the payment q mileage q sec
ond time. and he was supported by Mr..
kittlsfield (Rep- Me.), who contended
That there had been no iuterregnum
and consequently but one session of
congress. and there is no authority Of
law for a second appropriation for mile
age
The interest manifest in the ques-
+ ton was shown By the fact that there
were few empty seats on either side OF
the chamber when the mileage item
/ was reached.
I An adjournment was taken before j
conclusion was reached
! Consideration OF he amendments in
crossing the appropriation FOR he eX-
petsFs of the district land Offices pre-
cipitated a discussion OF, tbe subject Of
alleged land frauds ln which Mr.. Mon
dell. author Of the amendment, took a
principal part.
on motion OF Mr.. Mondeil Of Wyo-
ming the appropriation Tor the expenses
OF the district Land offices was increased
from S35.000 10 $4,000 o., account of the
increa sing volume of business. Before
its adoption Mr.. Robinson Of Indiana
inquired IL the increased business was
not because OF tho land frauds
Mr. Mondell replied that he did not
think 50.
Mr.. Robinson asked: 1T is fact.
is it not, that many millions of acres
have been fraudulently entered in The
last year or two?
Questions Fraud
AR. MondeH replied Il do not be-
lieve that is true ] believe that nirs-
tenths Of the statements Of fraud that
have been made have been made by
people who had q purpose in making
that statement. and did IL TO serve their
own personal ends. and that they are
largely the paid gents of the trans
continental railways. who would like
to have al the public land laws re-
pealed in order that the 50.000000 or 90
zoe eco acres which they OWE viii find
q better market.
Mr.. Shafroth of Colorado said to cur
tail the appropriation AMI reduce the
clerical force of the land Office would
be to curtail inquiries into the eharac-
ter Of entries
Mr.. Robinson asked if it was denied
that millions OF acres had gone aStras'
by reason of fraudulent land entries.
In reply MT. Mondeh said: Now
the gentleman does not pretend TO
know al about the land business OF
the government and 7 live in state
and have lived ali nay life In regions
where public land was being entered.
I have lived in Il state where 8 per
cent Of the land IS still public land,
and ] viii say TO the gentleman so Tar
as my personal knowledge is concerned,
ana / have taken some pains to inves-
<igata, my opinion is that in this year
OF grace there is less fraud in con-
nection with public lands in the United
states in proportion 10 the acres than
there ever was before.
But the gentleman Is not Oblivious
OF the fact" said, Afr. Robinson, and
he has evidently read the current pub
lie views which state that the score
tary of the interior has repeatedly
stated that there is great amount of
fraudulent land entries out in the
western country. has he nOt2'
Mr. Mondell retoFted: The gentle
man has not carefully read the secre-
tary's report The gentleman has
probably read the transcontinental
edition of the secretary's suggestions
4 have Tead the seCretary's newspaper
interviews reJelneq Mf' Roolnsohi
which were accredited at the time of the
I arrest Of u gentleman engaged largely IN
it. and Of the scandal that was voiced IN
AIr. Monden concluded By saying therc
IS 10 question that there was some
scandal in connection with the pubic
I lands particularly the timber and stone
acts I'm some parts OF the country
Authority For Mileage.
& discussion was precipitated Dy the
motion IF Mr.. Hay o. Virginia 70 restrict
the purchases OF newspapers BY the sec
rotary CT commerce and labor to those
( Of q professional character the bill pro-
VidinE simply Tor newspapers.
7 The proposed amendment failed, " hen
The paragraph relating 70 mlieage Of
members was reached Mr.. Hemenway
called attention 20 the fact that provision
4 for the mileage OF senators hdd been
omitted from the bin by an oversight
Mr.. Maddox OF Georgia raised point
of order against the iteru.
Air. Grosvenur proposed an amendmeri
providing that ans ncm5er 50 desiring
might c9nvert any mouey Que MIN under
this Appropriation into the treasury
Laughter followed IFS reading.
Air. Littlefield OF Maine took the
ground that Their was no luteTTegnuul
[ between the two sessions and that one
merged into the other lie said no mo-
ton was made 10 terminate the session
without date and THAI there had been
no adjournment by reason of constitu-
tionai lirits Therefore. he argued this
has been continued session and the
item for mileage vas unauthorized. III
support Of the point Of order ne held
that in the carir days whom an extra
Z ordinary session of congress extended be-
yond the day for the cCnvening of tins
regular session they regarded 1t as 2
( continuous session DC cited prcccdentS
particularly the action of ino Fortieth
congress. and had the careful attention
Of both sides Of the house.
iiGn simply as a legal proposition as
he had nu feeling in thc matter When
he had concluded his legal preseutatIor
he was piled with questions involving
the laws end the constitution. TO one
OF them ne replied that IN his opinion
tho house WAS i'm session under the cal
issued by the president.
LOVE IS BAFFLED. ;