The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-05
SUNDRY CIVIL APPROPRIATION Consideration of Wr
 Is Resr MANY AMENDMENl Advisory Board of Engineers Is
 Abolished. Several Animated Debates Arose over Amendments That Were oaerea
 Calling for an Increase
 of Appropriations.

Washington. May 4.-Consideration of the sundry civil appropriation biii was resumed in the house today. after Champ Clark, of Missouri, in the ao- sence of Mir. Williams, had forced roll call on the motion to take up the bill.
 At the outset of the debate. the house voted on the provisions covering the appropriation for the geological sur vey. Mir. Needham. California. waS prompt to offer an amendment appro- priatinK $200,000. flor gathering the streams and determining the water sup ply of the United States" in which prolonged discussion arose as to it's advisabili under the rules. The chair, however, settled the question by sustaining a point of order against the amendment and 1t was lost. Mir. Needham was more fortunate with subsequent amendment, appropriating s20o, 900 for the further examination of the mineral resources. and products of the National domain" Despite the arguments of Mir. Tawney. Minnesota. that the amendment was simply whip ping the devil around the stump. on the theory that water is mineral, the chair ruled 1t in order.
 In opposing the amendment. Mir. Tawney declared that congress should be honest about the matter Tn the past said. more than one half of the appropriations had been expended en- tirely outside of governmental func- tions. primarily he asserted. for the benefit of investors in water pow err
 Maintaining that tae sum of s20o.- 900 was entirely dtsporportionate to the purposes for which 1t was intAnd- ed. Mir. Sherley, Kentucky. offered sn amendment fixing the amount at si0o.- coo.
 Mir. Smith. Iowa. offered an amend ment In the nature of a substitute. which was adopted. in the language of the law of last year appropriatinR s100,000. flor gauging the streams and determining the water supply of tha United States" He said the House | should come out squarely as tos-fta Intention so as not to encourage ds- | partment heads to place their own construction on appropriations Animnted Debate. An animated debate arose over an amendment by Mir. Norris. Nebraska. increasing from $6o.0o0 to s100. aoo the appropriation for continuing the in- longing to and for the use of the Uni ted States. The amendment was adopt ed. s7 to 37.
 MT. Tawusy opposed a motion of Mfr Norris to strike out of the bfll the proviso which would have the effect of abolishing the advisory board of en- gineers to assist in the making of the tests. He said that if the motion would be adopted. Congress might as we'll abdicate in favor of the several departments, It's various executive functions with respect to the limitation of the expenditure of public moneys.
 An assertion by MT. Tawney that the Carnegie Technic School in Pitts burg had received. In violation of law. money contributions for conducting tests. brought a denial from Mir. Dai- zel1 (Pa.)
 The Norris motion carried, s4 to Si.
 An amendment by MT. Dalzell (Pa.) was offered increasing from s150.000 to s250,000 the appropriation for contin- ulng the analysing and testing of coals, lignites and other fuel substances. Mir. Dalzell argued that the increased ap- propriation would go far toward min mixing mine disasters
 In opposing the amendment Mir. Campbell (Kas) charged that most of the money heretofore appropriated for this purpose had been expended large ly in exploiting mines in the old coal fields and coke bearing coal fields of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio. In- diana and Kentucky. Mir. Bonyinge (Col.) Insisted, however. that the Rocky Mountain coal fields had not been neg Iected.
 The debate on the amendment was brought to a close by a vigorous speech by Mir. Tawney against 1t. In the course of his remarks he said
 "Confronted as we are with deficit of S60 ,00O. .0OO or $65 900 900 at the end of the fiscal year. with the almost cer- tain deficit of not less than $i50, ,000.- 900 at the end of the next fiscal year, and the actual absorption of our entire surplus during that time, and the ai- most certain issuing of certificates of indebtedness in these governmental expenditures. I do not think we are justified in going Into the business of investigating the coals and iignites owned by private individuals of the country"
 The amendment was adopted. eighty one to seventy mine.
 The bill thereupon was laid aside for the day.