Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-22
THE HOUSE. INSISTS
ID
Refuses to Yield Regarding
Pay Of Retired Officers.
IT sf.-s5 -
ADNEv DTTT mAUrKT It'd
ARMY BILL i TAKEN !, UP
REPORT OF THE .coNFEREE
GIVEN CONSIDERATION.
Gen. Miles Position Again Becomes q
Subject Of Discussion -- River
and Harbor Bill Up.

Upon the converting of. the House today
the chaplain delivered an eloquent prayer.
In which he spoke Of the life and character
of George Washington. who, he said, was
clear In his conceptions strong In his coa-
victions, wise in counsel, heroic in battle
and magnaninaous In peace
The conference report on the army appro-
priation bill was called up by Mr.. Hull
Qowa).
Report Of the Conferees.
The conferees on the bill agreed on a
report which covers all but three matters
Of difference between the two houses. The
three matters in dispute are the Senate
amendments for an Alaskan cable. the pay
of retired officers and provision for filling
vacancies in the office of assistant chief
of the record and pension Office.
The matters agreed on include the ae-
ceptance Of Senate amendment increas-
ing the amount for pay Of officers of the
line from 5000. 900 to s.. se9. $40; The Sen
ate amendment increasing by 100000 the
amount for length Of service pay for off,
GERS of the line was disagreed to. The
amount for additional pay for length Of
service for enlisted men as increased by the
Senate from $1,15OOO0 to $,250.OO0 was
agreed to. also the item for Philippine
scouts from $4,000 to $34 TO.
The Senate provision for the payment OF
the expense of military commissions was
agreed to. ~ "a
The Senate amendment requiring that no
steamship in the transport service shall be
sold or disposed of without consent Of Con-
gress is accepted The House recedes from
its restriction that no part Of the $4,000. 600
appropriated for the transport service shall
be paid to steamship companies for service
between the Philippine Islands and the
United States.
The Senate amendment for hospital at
Fort Sam Houston, Texas, to cost $4,000,
Is agreed to.
An additional appropriation of $150.000
toward the construction of the engineers
school at Washington barracks, District Of
Columbia, is agreed to.
The Senate recedes from It's amendment
requiring recommendation from the Sec
rotary of War for @ithe establishment Of
military posts. 1t recedes also from the
amendment increasing BY $25o,O00 the ap-
preparation for ordnance supplies.
Mr.. Hemenway Objects.
Mr.. HemenwaA bQnda objected to the
Senate amendment authorizing the assign
ment to duty fl the paymaster generals
office Of paymaster's clerks. He said it was
dangerous precedent land might lead to
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in office 1t was his opin-
ion that the conference report should be
defeated unless the provision were stricken
out - 17fr 30 80
Mr. Hull was opposed 20 such interchange
Of clerks, but 1t had been recommended by
the paymaSter general. i"l
It developed that the object OF the amend
ment was to provide for several paymaster's
clerks who had grpMpfo old ip the service.
Debate was cut short by Mr.. Hull NOV
ing the previous question, which was or
dered, but the report itself was disa greed
to in its entirety, by an emphatic mo-. g..
-rteeg Pay of Retired Officers.
Various amendments made by the Senate
were then considered. On separate vote
the Senate amendment appropriating $685.
900 for continuing the cable from Valdez
Prince William sound, at. the head Of Resur-
rection bay, Alaska, was agreed to-.
Mr.. Ames -tMass9 insisted on an agree
ment to the Senate amendment regarding
ments,- so as to make itSeffectiver January
l, 1906. While supporting the amendment
he referred to the appointment of Lfeu,.
Gen. Nelson A. Miles as Inspector general
Of Massachusetts, and said It was a political
one. Had Gov. Douglass had the best in
terests of the militia of Massachusetts at
heart the appointment would not have been
made, but younger man would have been
selected The amendment, he said, was
favorable to Gen. Miles. who had accepted
the appointment in good faith and in the
belief that he would receive his full pay.
Mr.. Hull declared the, attempt to put the
WnO1e ngnt OH 1eil s11ileS us u iHe
House and to the general himself. He would
rather have the bill fail than yield to the
clamor raised by retired officers in their at
tacks on the treasury.
The amendment of Mr.. -AmeS was sup
ported by Mr.. Thayer (Mass) because he
said it would become effective after Gen
eral Miles term had expired.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Ohio) opposed the Senate
amendment. He said there never had been
so foul an attempt to influence legislation
in the direction of graft, pure and SIM
ple'' or to bring forward the name of
distinguished man and cry out persecution
against him. He did not know that Gen
eral Miles was involved in this graft If
the Senate amendment was adopted, he
maintained, it would put, millions into the
pockets of gentlemen ALREADY munificently
provided for and for doing nothing
Mr.. Hay Va.) also opposed the amend
ment .- - -,...:t
The Senate amendment, as amended by
Mr. Ames then was disagreed to and the
report was sent back to conference.
River and Harbor Bill Up.
Resolutions were adopted declaring it to
be inexpedfent at this time to investigate
the legality of the election of delegate
from Hawaii to the Fifty-ninth Congress;
and also requesting the Secretary of the
Interior to report to the House whether
there is any foundation for the complaint
of the national business league of Chicago
that under pre-existing laws certain per-
sons have been and are surreptitiously OBJ
tanning possession of large tracts of public
land set apart to promote the irrigation of
arid lands.
The House then, in committee of the