The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-18
HOT FIGHT In
COMMITTEE
No Rivers and HarbOrS Bill
This Year
TILLMAN INVESTIGATION
Reports from Connecticut Give Definite
ness to the Lilley Matter in the
National House Of Repre-
sentatives.
TILLMAN INVESTIGATION

Washington, Jan. 1s.--one Of the hot
test and most important fights OF the
session took place Saturday in the COM
mittee on rivers and harbors As a re-
suit there is TO be no general rivers and
harhors bill this winter In its place
there will be merely moderate meas
ure, limited to appropriations for sur
ycys, maintenance of existing projects,
operation Of existing government plans
and for emergencies. This decision how.
ever, was not reached until after hard
fought contest in which the committee
at one time actually voted to overruIe
Chairman Burton and prepare bill Of
generous terms which would inevitably
have led to the expenditure Of many
millions Except that it would have
been chloroformed in the senate).
A motion to reconsider this action
was all that saved the day for the con.
seryatives. They wisely held that the
treasury deficit, the short remaining du-
ration Of this session and the need for a
broader treatment Of the subject. af-
forded ample ground for postponing the
preparation Of general measure to
next winter. After the action OF the
committee had become known Congress
man Lawrence Of Massachusetts,. who
was largely instrumental in the final de-
eision, made this statement
I'm deciding not to press general
river and harhor bill at this session the
committee was Influenced By the condi-
ton Of our revenues and by the fact
that it is impossible to properly frame
such bin as is demanded BY the eoun-
try within the few weeks remaining of
this short session. have assisted in
framing three general river and haTbor
appropriation bills. The committee was
occupied in the preparation 81 each Of
them two to three months and that re.
quired continuous work, day and even
ing III IL by such thorough and careful
preparation that the committee on
rivers and harbors has won the conf
dence ard respect Of the country and
its intelligent work for the past eight
or 10 years il largely responsible, | be-
lieva for the favorable sentiment ex
isting throughout the country today in
favor Of liberal policy 0f waterway
improvement, The country Is demand |
ing a bill drown on somewhat broader
and more systematic lines than in the |
past; certain projects involving very
great expenditures are being pressed, |
and if the committee had attempted To |
crowd through general bill before the
9th of March the result would have |
been certain to be hasty, ill.consideEed |
legislation l believe the cause Of |
improvement has been helped
by the action taken today and that the /
approaching long session of Congress I
il the proper time to enact such bill
as is earnestly needed and demanded" /
1t is now probable that there will |
be no investigation of President Roose
veit's charges against Senstor Tillman,
Iillman has insistently de-
manded that such an investigation be
made by the Senate. II is very zeal
ously pointed out, though with much
more logis than regard for the praeti-
cot tnN't3 tAAt ~ MNSAfAiAA W AAHNNNA- n
gate TiIlman the Senate win in one
sense be rebuking the president by in
dieating the opinion that the charges
v ere too trivial for official notice, as
we'll as without any reference to the
secret service issue in ostensible connec-
lion with which they were made public
1t the White House. Nor win the spec
al committee which is to investigate
he secret service proceed with the idea
II aronsing any more controversy than
nav Be occasioned BY an asccTtainment
md statement Of the facts
The reports from Connecticut that
Gov. Lilley has not resigned and still
considers himself 4 member Of the
House Of Representatives have lent de-
8nitmess to the issue raised Saturday
md degree of keen appreciation 20 the
interest with which future develop
nents are awaited. The judiciary CON.
nittee to which the matter has been
referred. and which must report within
10 days from yesterday vii hold its
next meeting On Tuesday.