Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-22
seth CONGRESS.
Continued from Page One)

carriages TO heads Of departments. and
mao secured carriages for assistant ses-
retaries out of the fund Ito enable the
President to meet Unforeseen emergen-
cies III the diplomatic and consular SER
vice.
TO prevent this the item i'm the bill
supplying a deficiency in this fund pro-
hibits its expenditure within the dis
trict of Columbia, except for the enter
tainmcht Of the representatives Of for
cign governments.
In answer to Il query as to what
cause the deficiency in this fund. Mr.
Littaucr said the Portsmouth peace
conference had cost the government
$26.0eO. and the entertainment of Prince
LOUIS If Battembcrg had cost s4.3l1 90
The fund. he said, was not entirely OK
hauSted.
Rising to the defence of provision
for eight clerks in the treasury to count
money, Gaines said this old money
should be retired. 1t was rotten.
dirty. notwithstanding, disease breed
ing. paper money" 1t smelled like dead
animals. and ought to be retired from
circulation.
Llttieheld elucidated the topic by
stating: I'm Germany. it is germs; in
Paris. Parasites; in Ireland, microbes
and when they get here again, 'bac-
terra"
Gaines believed these germs were re-
sponslble for much of the reported de-
hclcncles. These germs simply run Off
with the money" he declared
An hours debate was arranged on tho
amendment offered by Keifer of Ohio in
creasing from s3i2S to $4,000 the amount
for the appropriation of silver coin.
Keller made an arsumen. in behalf of
silver money, and said the cutting down
of this appropriation was discrinina
ton against it,
Smith of Iowa declared the practice of
transporting sinvel coin from and to SUBJ
treasures was graft, pure and simple,
In the interest of express companies
Hill of Connecticut said it was luna
dulterated graft" Every secretary of the
treasury from Carlisle down, he said.
had Hsapproved of the practice. He said
he could give a specific instance where
an express company was raid by the gov
crnment $4,000 for transporting its own
money from San Francisco to New York.
A person, he said. could send a draft to
a sub-treasury to pay duties on imports
The government was compelled to send
silver coin to the port of entry at its
own expense and then ship it back to the
sub-treasury also at its own expense.
Williams of Mississippi stated that il
the movement of silver was stopped or
agricultural districts.
Abiding to the consideration of the
item in committee, Tawncy said the sub
committee had found evidence of abuses
and had about concluded not to recon-
mend the full $1O,CGO asked for.
by some unknown means" he contiii-
ued. "thc representatives Of the express
companies were the first to receive the
news. and waited On members of the
that conclusion"
Further inquiry by the committee. Taw-
ncy said. developed that the Inv was
being abused by the express companies.
A bank in Yonkers. N. r., he said. aske.
for several thousand dollars in silver, and
made its demand on the sub-treasury In
New York City. which was IL miles from
the Yonkers bark. The shipment was
made by an express company which sent
the silver first from New York to Ring
hamtOn, 80 miles. II was there trans
fcrred to another express company.
which carried it to TarrytOwn. about 20
miles. There it was transferred to still
another express company and sent l.
miles to Yonkers. This was one of tho
abuses of this fund. The total annual
appropriation for this purpose. he said
had beer Sl30.O0O.
Kcifer closed the debate in favor Of
the amendment. He said he would not
attempt to answer the argument against
the appropria tion that it was abused. be
cause some one in the treasury depart
ment mad made a vicious contract for its
expenditure. His point was that to cut
off the amendment would leave many
sections of the country without silver
coin unless it was shipped in at the OK
pcnsc of the individual. The amendment
was lost on Il vote by tcllcrs of 20 ayes
and "A noes.
The House adjourned at As o'clock.