The Minneapolis journal., 1906-07-12
TO FORE
IN S3,OOO,OO0 CASE
st. Paul Man May Explain Mys
terry Of outlawed sundry /
Civil Bill Amendment.
BY w. w. Jermane.

i.
Washington, July 12-Chief Enroll
Ing Clerk McKenney Of the house Of
representatives, a st. Paul man and a
former member of the Minnesota legis-
lature, is the center Of interest just
now In the investigation being made
under orders Of the senate into mis-
take made by the government printing
office during the closing hours of the
recent session Of congress. a5 :.
bill so as to provide $3,OO0,O0O for
ground and buildings for the state de-
partment, department, Of justice. and
Of commerce and labor.
The house refused to accept this amend.
ment and. Chairman Tawney of the
house appropriations committee said
that the. man who got that amendment
in the bill as finally passed would have
to wall! over his (Tawney's) dead body
to do it.. i .,- 81. D +
r., =. Found by Accident.
n seFen out therSf1f9 %Sen the the s Eli
reached the president for signature, late
In the afternoon Of June 30, this item
was In it, The discovery was made
quite aceidentally The president ana
the capitol, waiting for bills to reach
them, and after this particular bill had
been signed it was tossed aside with a
number of others. =
Secretary Root was lounging in big
armchair, where he could reach the
table on which, the pile Of signed bills
lay. ,, He lazi1Y reached over and be-
gan glancing rather aimlessly thru the
sundry civil bill. Suddenly he straight
ened up. His eye had caught the
So 100000 item which he knew had
4 l. "a of.
tention was called to it., both houses
were notified and, post haste. joint
resolution was passed repeating that
particular item.
= Orders Searching Probe.
Senator Hale suspected that every
thing was not quite right and so ne
| proposed a resolution which was agreed
to, directing the senate committee on
printing to find out where the trouble
was. The investigation is now under
way. The printing office side Of the
case has now been presented, and il
appears that the item was retained II
the; bill by the printing office as the
result Of orders received from Mcken
ney, who, in giving these orders, |:
said to have informed the public printer
that he had positive instructions tt
that end. Here the matter rests fo'
the present.
The senate committee will now lister
to the testimony of house employees
and it is probable that McKenney. l.
he has already returned to st.. Paul
will be requested to return and inform
the committee just who it was tina
gave him the order.
May Be Sensation.
This matter has stirred up a grea
deal of talk in Washington. The dea
proposed by the $3,0O0;O00 would hav
been one of great Importance to loca
real estate interests The question wa
pending in both houses Of congress TO
weeks and finally the house of repre-
sentatives refused to have anything
do with it. Then it was that the senat
took it :upt and added the item by wa
of amendment to the sundry civil bill
After Mr.. McKenney gives the nam
, Of the member of the house who, it
said, ordered him to include the ite1
in the enrolled bill, there may be al
other thrill Of excitement among loc;
real estate dealers.
There is no suspicion that Mr.. M
Kenney is guilty of any wrongdoin
r and no suspicion follows him PERSONAL
, in this quest for information. 1t ma
be-" too, that the man who gave hi
the order did so without intent to con
nit wrong, but all the facts mus
now be brought. out, and meanwhi
) guessing and gossiping.