Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-27
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

The House on meeting today ordered cam
celed and destroyed resolution of in
quiry purporting to have been introduced
by Mr.. Van Duzer (Nev). but which he re-
pudiated. The resolution called on the
State Department for the report of Her
bert II. D. PIERCE regarding the condition
of consulates In the orient.
Mr. Adams CPa.) moved the action, and
Mr. Williams (Miss.l read a letter from
Mr.. Van DuzeT stating he had never heard
of the resolution.
Mr. Gaines CTenn1 complained that the
House had been -trified with by some one,
and he thought an Investigation should be
made.
A roll call was begun en- the Dalzell Lake
Erie and Ohio ship canal bill. The first roll
call resulted in ordering the previous ques-
tion-16S to 81. Mr.. Williams secured
second roll call, which resulted in the pass
age of the bill-196 to 81.
a bill was passed by unanimous consent
authorizing the disposition of surplus lands
in the Yakima Indian reservation. in the
state Of Washington.
On motion of Mr.. Hull Uowa) the army
appropriation bill was taken up for con-
sideration under the ftve-minute rule
Supplies Wasted
The reading of the bin was interrupted
by Mr.. Crumpacker, who raised an in
curry which developed a lively turn of
debate.
Mr.. Crumpacker had read in the pa
pers the charge that $50, 900 900 had been
wasted by army officers, who bought use
less apparatus, scientific and otherwise
including flying machines, telescopes
etc
4 desire to say" replied Mr.. Hull,
that the committee on military affairs
has never authorized flying machines.
That has been done by the great and
good committee on appropriations not by
the small committee on military affairs"
The fortifications bill, coming from the
appropriations committee, explained Mr..
Fitzgerald IN. ". had annually carried
an amount for experimental purposes.
My recollection is continued Mr.
Hull that flying machines were specii-
cally authorized | regard flying machines
as absolutely absurd. 1 am not a scientific
man. but a machine that will fly to the
bottom OF the river"
At this point Mr.. Grosvenor broke in to
ask where the flying machine paragraph
of the bill was located. and Mr.. Hull did
not complete his estimate of flying ma
chimes.
Mr. Slayden (Texas) asserted that there
was no paragraph in the bill to which fly
ing machines would be appropriate.
Mr. Hull closed the incident with
statement that no money had been wasted
in scientific or useless apparatus, although
much money had been spent, as 1t turned
out later uselessly In buying supplies
which were allowed to waste from lack of
proper care and in the depreciation of
equipment.
A sharp dispute arose over committee jul
risdfction between TIE appropriations and
military committees. Mr.. Littauer (N.Y)
made point of order against the provision
for fire control for field guns on the ground
that the appropriations committee had jul
rsdiction over coast and field artillery In
the Notifications bill.
Mr.. Tawney suggested that the fortifica-
tons bill had not carried the amount asked
for by the War Department and hence the
military committee had been appealed TO.
MI, Smith of Iowa repeated this idea
whel MIR Hull declared it was not true.
He held the field artillery to be part of
the line of the army and clearly within
the Jurisdiction of the military committee.
1t was urged by Mr.. Sullivan of Massa-
chusetts that the question ought at this
time 10 he settled for all time. He said
the furtfications bill had carried the money
to provide field guns. and the fire control
apparatus was u part of their necessary
mechanism.
Yes" interiected Mr. Capron of Rhode
Island. land next year you will want to
furnish the horses and harness to draw
the guns, and the year following the forage
for the horses and rations for the men who
aYara 10 them. -