Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-20
TRANSPORT SERVICE ATTACKED.
The House, However, Votes to Retain
the Vessels,


vigorous attack on the army TRANSPORT
service was made in the House of Repre-
sentatives yesterday afternoon by Mr. Hum
phrey Wash.). His first move was to elm
| mate from the bill on a point of order
| which was sustained, the provision that mo
| steamship IN the transport service shall be
| disposed of without the consent of Con-
gress. Mr.. Hull secured the adoption of an
! amendment in these words: provided. that
no part of $l2.O00.O00 hereby appropriated
| snail be paid to any steamship company for
the transportation of supplies enlisted
men or officers of the United States from
| the United States to the Philippine Islands
or from the Philippine Islands TO the United
| States.''
| Mr.. Humphrey offered an amendment
| striking out the provision for expenses of
| sailing government transports. He spoke
bitterly against the transport service. 1t
was costing sl500,O00 a year more to main
| tain this service than would be the case if
| the service should be performed by private
shipping. When Mr. Root was Secretary of
| war he had recommended it's adjustment
| as had General Davis when he was gov
ernor OF the Philippines and Mr. Humphrey
| said Secretary Taft was of the same mind.
The report of the quartermasterS depart
ment, Mr.. Humphrey said, was wonderful
| in its bookkeeping. In it was credited the
| cost of transporting private citizens free of
charge, and then figuring this transporta-
| ton up TO make the showing that the
Ice was more economical than would have
been the private service.
The transport service SO far had cost the
country between $50 OO0, 600 and $40, 600, 900.
Everything is rotten in this transport
service" hotly declared Mr.. Humphrey,
from the hulls of the old foreign built YES
sells to the wonderful system of bookkeep-
ing adopted by the quartermaster's depart
ment 1t is a national disgrace, and l hope
this House will stop it,"
He said there were five private vessels on
the Pacific coast fully equipped to take care
of this transportation, and if it was neces-
sary to provide pleasure junkets for men,
bers of the quartermasters department he
would favor the construction of five private
yachts.
Mr. Hull defended the service He said, if
for no other reason, the service ought to be
maintained for the comfort of the soldiers,
especially the sick who We're brought home
from the Philippines. He disputed that the
service was more expensive than private
service would be.
quartermasters department was made by
Mr.. De Almond (Mo), who also advocated
a continuance of the service
Mr.. Prince Qll) defended the service
The amendment of Mr. Humphrey was de-
feated on a viva VOce vote.
AS president of the American branch of
the Interparliamentary Union for Interna-
tional Arbitration, and chairman of the re-
ception committee which entertained the
national organization, Mr.. Bartholdt (Mo)
secured the floor to make a report on the
recent convention at st. Louis. He read a
history of the organization, that it might
become a part of the Congressional Record.
The United States had been turned to as
the hope of the organization by reason of
the hatreds of the governments of the old
world. When President Roosevelt told the
delegates to the convention that he had
treaties all prepared for the signatures of
the nations of the world for international
arbitration he said the White House rang
with cheers.
The reading of the bill was finished, and
as a separate vote was demanded on the
amendment relating to the retired pay of
officers it was agreed to take this vote to-
day.